The Mourning Process
by Neuroscpr
Summary: While Aeryn mourns, John suffers physically and emotionally. Updated with sequel
1. Default Chapter

This fic is post-fractures but takes place before the actual final 4. please tell me if you like  
it because there is a sequel. If there's interest, I'll post that too. Thanks  
  
  
"Aeryn! Open the frelling door!" The shouts were accompanied by fists slamming on the door to  
her cell. She opened her eyes for a moment but said nothing. The ex-peacekeeper had hoped for  
a moment that it was Crichton. As much as it would hurt to talk to him, what she was feeling  
now was even worse. "Aeryn, it's D'Argo! We have to talk." The Luxan's voice had softened  
somewhat. Yelling wasn't going to get her outside. Enough had happened because of yelling.   
  
"Go away." Aeryn's words came out with little conviction.  
  
D'Argo growled like only one of his race could. Avoiding the human was one thing, but Aeryn's  
actions were inexcusable. He couldn't sit back any longer and let them destroy whatever love  
was left. "Pilot! Override the controls."   
  
The creature's voice came through over the comm. "If Aeryn doesn't want to talk-." D'Argo cut  
him off. "I think we're beyond what Aeryn wants. Don't you?" He heard a sigh and then the  
door opened. D'Argo stepped forward.  
  
She looked up at him but refused to make eye contact. Aeryn had felt this before. Knew how it  
could overpower even a peacekeeper. Shame coursed through her like fire. "I can't talk to you  
about this, D'Argo. Just go away." The Luxan didn't answer right away. She felt strong arms  
take hold of hers and lift. Aeryn couldn't break free. They were face to face now.   
  
"You're going to talk whether you like it or not, Peacekeeper." D'Argo got the response he  
wanted.  
  
"You haven't called me that in two cycles." The look in Aeryn's eyes was weary and hurt. She  
could see disappointment in her friends eyes.   
  
"For the past two cycles, you haven't given me a reason. Not until now." D'Argo took a step  
back but showed no signs of leaving. Instead he sat down.   
  
"Are you going to lecture me now? Like Crichton?"  
  
D'Argo bared his teeth at her. They both knew he would never psychically hurt her, but the point  
was made. "Aeryn, you're giving me reason to." She lowered her head in what looked like a  
nod. The Luxan continued. "I know what it's like to lose someone. Don't give that dren about  
not understanding."   
  
Aeryn glanced upward. "This is different." She flinched as the man in front of her erupted.   
  
D'Argo stood and threw his chair against the wall. "Do you think that makes it alright? He  
should just forgive you because you're mourning!" The ex-peacekeeper tried to speak but no  
words came to mind. "I see Chiana every day on this frelling ship! But I would never do that to  
her. Never!" D'Argo shook his head. He knew this wasn't helping.   
  
"I never said it was the right thing to do!" Aeryn was yelling now too. "But it happened and I  
can't change that." Her face twisted into a frown, she stood and walked past her shipmate. "It's  
none of your frelling business. So stay out of it!" D'Argo watched her go sadly. Things were  
getting worse.  
  
She had barely made it to the first junction when the act fell apart. Aeryn dropped to her knees  
and started sobbing. The tears were coming without restraint. She couldn't keep them back.   
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Aeryn kept repeating the apology in her quiet voice. She hoped that  
D'Argo was too far away to hear.  
  
  
  
The bar was overcrowded and filled with acrid-smelling smoke. Chiana checked her cargo  
carefully but he didn't seem to mind.   
  
The human smiled weakly at her and pointed towards a stool. "Just leave me there. I'll wait."   
The Nebari gave a quick nod. They had in fact come to collect supplies. But Crichton wasn't up  
to walking around a marketplace.   
  
"Don't go getting yourself into trouble. Just have a drink and keep your mouth shut." She patted  
him on the back and left.  
  
John flinched as her gloved hand touched his back. "Thanks pip." He managed to pull himself  
onto the stool and waved to the bartender.   
  
"You look like dren my friend. What can I get you?" The human smiled. Always a friendly ear  
at the neighborhood pub.   
  
"Take your strongest drink." The man nodded and pulled out a container of black liquid. "Now  
make it stronger." The smile was gone.  
  
Lucien spotted the Nebari and her companion the moment they stepped into the bar. He found it  
curious that a peacekeeper would be seen with one of their kind. Then again, the man didn't look  
like his senses had been used much lately. He walked over to introduce himself. "Holy frell man!   
You look worse than a dead Scarren."   
  
Crichton looked up from his drink and caught a blurry sight of the guy in front of him. He was  
dressed in black and red leather, which probably meant peacekeeper. "Hey! I've seen a dead  
Scarren before and that is not a nice thing to say."   
  
The stranger laughed and sat down at the stool beside his. "Name's Lucien. What's another  
peacekeeper doing on this hole of a planet?" At any other moment, John would have gotten out  
of there immediately. Too bad he'd already emptied three glasses of the black stuff.   
  
"One word, my good man. Women."  
  
The peacekeeper leaned in closer. "Oh, now you've got to tell me what happened."   
  
John grinned in a drunken stupor. "You're not gonna believe this."  
  
  
  
Aeryn walked slowly into Pilot's chamber and looked around. She didn't want to talk to anyone  
else but him. D'Argo was the only one who knew what had happened but the others suspected.   
  
"Officer Sun?"   
  
She looked up into the creature's sympathetic eyes. "Have you spoken with D'Argo?"   
  
Pilot shook his head. "No, he hasn't come up." That fact made her relax a little. It would only  
make her feel worse to have him angry too.  
  
"I wanted you to hear it from me." The words pounded in her ears as she spoke them. Aeryn  
couldn't bear the look on Pilot's face. She considered that he already knew. Even if it wasn't  
from D'Argo.   
  
"Hear what? You sound troubled."   
  
Aeryn nodded her head. "I've done something terrible."  
  
  
  
John nodded his head sadly as he finished telling the story. Every part of his body was still in  
constant pain. Just sitting on the stool was taking its toll.   
  
"She almost killed you?" Lucien stared at his companion in disbelief. He had never heard of  
soldiers reacting so strongly to a procreation match. Certainly none had ever physically assaulted  
the others. But that wasn't what had really caught his attention.   
  
"Aeryn is a hell of a lot stronger than I am." John had just confirmed his suspicions. Lucien  
realized they were talking about Aeryn Sun.  
  
"Where is she?" The words came out stronger than he had intended. He had to be careful not to  
scare off the human. If this was indeed John Crichton.   
  
"Aeryn? She's probably back on Moya." The realization must have come to John at that  
moment. He moved to flee but there was nowhere to go.   
  
Lucien already had his pulse pistol out. "I don't think so Crichton."  
  
  
  
Pilot's mouth hung open despite his best efforts to remain calm. He couldn't believe the story she  
had just laid out. It didn't seem possible. "I saw him earlier today. John looked fine."   
  
Aeryn nodded her head. "D'Argo took some of Zhaan's old solvents from the lab. They covered  
the bruises." She felt herself being judged silently.   
  
"I don't know what to think."  
  
Aeryn stiffened as she heard the footsteps come up from behind.   
  
"So she told you Pilot." D'Argo's voice was rough. He did not appear to be in a good mood.   
  
Pilot looked up at the Luxan and nodded. "Just this very moment. I didn't want to believe it."   
The two of them shook their heads as Aeryn looked on. She wanted to run, to get away from  
there. "Officer Sun, I think it would be best if you went down to the commerce planet."  
  
Her mouth dropped open in disbelief. Aeryn couldn't believe what she was hearing. Of all the  
possible outcomes, this was not one she had considered. "You want me to leave?"   
  
  
Pilot met her gaze with some difficulty. "Moya and I are confused by this turn of events. Your  
presence would make it harder for us to-."   
  
Aeryn raised her hand. "You don't need to explain. I understand."   
  
Pilot nodded. "I'll comm you when its time to go."   
  
  
  
John opened his eyes and looked around. It took a moment for them to get used to the darkness.   
Strange objects started to take shape. "What the hell?" His hands and feet where strapped to  
what felt like an operating table. Well, at least it wasn't the Aurora Chair. "Who am I kidding?   
Help!" John shouted the word over and over but no one answered. Wherever he was, help was  
not nearby.  
  
A door directly in front of him opened up and light filled the room. John had to close his eyes to  
block the glare. Someone was coming in.   
  
"Awake are we? That's good. Lucien flipped a switch and lamps came on around the room.   
Computer terminals and what looked like medical supplies lined the walls.   
  
"What do you want? I've got money." It was the only thing that John could think of to say. It  
didn't work.  
  
"Do you really think I want currency?" Lucien looked over his prisoner with a smile on his face.   
Certainly this prize would get him out of the dren-world he was living in. "You are very valuable  
on your own John Crichton."   
  
John frowned at the peacekeeper and tugged on his restraints. "Yeah, I've heard that one  
before."   
  
Lucien smiled. "I believe you." He backed up and headed towards the door again. "I'll be right  
back."  
  
  
  
Aeryn and Chiana stood face to face in the open market. Busy shoppers passed by on either side,  
occasionally bumping one of them.   
  
The Nebari spoke first. "He won't admit it, but I know it was you." There was no playfulness or  
jest in her words. They were dead serious.   
  
Aeryn tried to look away but Chiana kept moving to catch up. "If you believe I'm capable of  
that, don't get in my way." That did the trick.  
  
She left the younger woman and her Prowler behind and walked deeper into the marketplace.   
Pilot had been very clear, Aeryn would stay down here for at least the rest of the day. The shame  
was still there but her encounter with Chiana had been helpful. Being mad at the Nebari helped  
pass the time. Aeryn stopped in her tracks. Despite all the thoughts in her head, she still  
recognized a tail.  
  
The Peacekeeper was only a few people behind her in the crowd. He watched her every move  
and Aeryn thought for a moment that he looked familiar. The man came closer. "Officer Sun, it  
is you!" Lucien lifted his arm to stop her but she pushed it away.   
  
"I don't know what you're talking about."   
  
He smiled at her cold face. "Don't worry. I'm not here to arrest you." That got Aeryn's  
attention.  
  
"We were in Pleisar Regiment together. I remember you." He was almost hopeful that she would  
recall his face. Aeryn didn't.   
  
"That's wonderful. Now leave me alone." She tried to walk away but he wouldn't have it.   
  
"I know what you're doing here. I can help you." Aeryn turned to face him.   
  
Something was wrong. "How could you help me?"   
  
Lucien smiled. "I have John Crichton."  
  
All the breath left Aeryn's lungs as she heard the words. John had been captured. Something else  
she could add to her list of blame. "Where is he?" She reached for her pulse pistol and Lucien  
responded in kind. They stood there motionless for several microts. Finally, Aeryn spoke up  
again. "What do you want?"   
  
Those were the words that Lucien wanted to hear. "Come with me. I'll tell you."  
  
  
  
  
They stood in front of a large mirror that covered the entire length of a wall. Aeryn stared  
through it and saw John lying on the table. She ignored her first instinct and waited for the  
peacekeeper to speak. "I have a proposition for you." Lucien relished this moment. He still  
remembered those days on the combat tour. Not sitting around some commerce planet collecting  
dust.   
  
"Out with it." Aeryn didn't feel like reminiscing.   
  
"I know the soldier's still in there. He told me what you did to him." Aeryn flinched but didn't  
respond. She tried not to let the guilt show. "You were one of the best in our unit. I can get us  
both back in." Aeryn felt the hairs on her neck stand up. "If we turn the human in together, High  
Command will give us whatever we want. You could be reinstated." Lucien watched her face for  
signs. There weren't any.   
  
"Why would you help me?"   
  
He smiled. "I respected you then. I still do."  
  
Aeryn couldn't believe what she was hearing. This peacekeeper was more stupid than he looked.   
After all that had happened with Moya and Talyn, the only way she'd go back was in a body bag.   
Of course, that information probably wasn't made public. "You can't-." Something stopped her  
from speaking. Aeryn noticed the medical machinery inside the room with John. State of the art  
technology that didn't rely on worker error. Perhaps this Lucien could help her after all.  
  
"One condition."   
  
Lucien looked over at her and smiled. He was quite pleased with himself. "What's that?"   
  
Aeryn pointed towards the machinery. "I want you to run a full scan on his DNA."   
  
The peacekeeper didn't understand. "Why? What would I compare it with?"   
  
Aeryn reached into her vest and came out with a thin metal container. Inside were a few strands  
of brown hair. It had helped John when she died. She had tried it as well. "Use this. Then I'll  
do whatever you want."  
  
  
  
John heard voices coming from somewhere but he couldn't make them out. Something bad was  
going to happen. Hell, something bad always happened. "Hey Lucien! Get your ass in here. I  
wanna talk." Much to his surprise, the door opened and the peacekeeper walked in.   
  
"Hello Crichton. I hope you haven't been waiting long."   
  
John shook his head. 'All these guys use the same script, I swear to God.' As he watched,  
Lucien walked over to the computer station and started typing. "What are you going to do?"  
  
Lucien turned around and smiled. "I'm going to run a test."   
  
The human was suddenly very anxious. "What kind of test?" John didn't like where this was  
going. He noticed that one of the machine panels had lit up. A small tray slid out of the wall and  
waited for something.   
  
Lucien moved next to John and pulled out a knife. It had a red and black handle. "I'm going to  
need a sample."  
  
John pushed himself forward and bit down on the collar of his vest. This was going to hurt. He  
was already shaking uncontrollably.   
  
"I'll just stick this in here." Lucien lowered the knife and jammed it into John's leg.   
  
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" Biting down didn't help.   
  
Lucien smiled. "Then I'll need a clean sample." He twisted the knife in place.  
  
Before John even had a chance to scream, a pulse blast came from the doorway. Lucien gasped  
and dropped down where he stood. It didn't take a doctor to tell that he was dead. Aeryn  
stepped forward and lowered her gun. The moment she had seen the knife, everything had  
changed. But that wasn't true was it? She had hesitated.   
  
"Aeryn, is that you?" John blinked several times as his eyes met hers. His expression was grim.   
  
"I'm so sorry John. I never should have let him-."   
  
He waited until she released his straps and then pushed himself off the table. The pain in his leg  
was excruciating but there was something worse. "What do you mean, let him?"   
  
Aeryn lowered her eyes. She couldn't even speak the words. "I'm sorry."   
  
John looked over at the sample machine and put two and two together. "You...you."He took a  
step away from her. "You let him do this to me?"   
  
Aeryn finally met his gaze. He could see the look of horror in her eyes. "I'm sorry." The human  
slammed his fist down on the table.   
  
"Why should I believe you? After everything you've done in the past few days, how can you say  
you're sorry?"   
  
She didn't know how to respond. "It hurt so much. I just needed something concrete."  
Aeryn watched his face. It was covered with sweat and twisted in anger.   
  
"What do you want me to say? I understand Aeryn. That makes it ok?" John continued moving  
towards the door. "I can't do this right now." He started to leave.   
  
Aeryn felt like she was going to throw up. She dropped to the ground. "John, I love you."   
Crichton stopped. "I just don't know how to deal with this."  
  
His face softened for a moment but soon regained its angry look. "I love you too." John slammed  
the door on his way out. ***  
  
The lights were turned down low inside the converted cell. She could feel his warm breath  
against her soft skin every few seconds like clockwork. It was more comforting than any  
peacekeeper ritual could ever be. Aeryn allowed herself to get lost in the moment. A luxury she  
was not accustomed to. But this situation was unlike any she had ever experienced. He was lying  
there next to her. His face ashen and distant.  
  
John opened his eyes weakly and looked at her. He smiled but pain still cut across his face like a  
dagger. All the anger, all the pain, none if it was in his eyes now. "I love you Aeryn." Each  
word of that phrase made her tremble.   
  
Aeryn couldn't imagine being anywhere else. "I love you too John." He reached for her and she  
didn't back away. They held each other close like that for what seemed like hours. Then Aeryn  
felt his hands on her neck.  
  
"John, what are you doing?" Before the ex-peacekeeper could react, he had her by the throat.   
Whatever warmth had been in Crichton's eyes disappeared at that moment.   
  
His smile twisted into an almost carnal scowl. "How does it feel baby?"  
  
It was then that she realized who it really was. The scar above his eyebrows. The pain on his  
face wasn't from what she had done. It was from radiation poisoning. "No, John, you're dead."   
  
He nodded as she spoke but didn't appear to care. Aeryn felt his hands squeeze down with  
tremendous force. "You killed me Aeryn. You ruined everything!"   
  
Aeryn's eyes began to water. Both from emotion and intense physical pain. The lack of air in her  
lungs was causing an excruciating burning sensation. "John, stop!" The words barely made it out  
of her mouth. Even then they were almost unintelligible.   
  
"You killed me Aeryn." John's face was eroding away into some sort of hideous skeleton  
creature. "And what did I do? I gave you another chance."   
  
Aeryn tried to look away, to break free. Escape was impossible. "I'm sorry."  
  
"But you killed him too! You killed the both of us. You b-."  
  
  
  
Aeryn opened her eyes and realized that she was still shaking. This dream wasn't the first  
but it was definitely worse than all the others. The lights were off inside the lab and she could  
barely make out the figures in front of her. An operating table with a silhouette standing beside it.   
  
"Should you be here?" The voice was familiar but definitely not friendly. Jool flicked a switch on  
the wall and lights came on above them. She looked almost dignified in her white lab coat. The  
troublesome red hair was tucked back in a bundle. "D'Argo said you should stay away."  
  
  
"Frell D'Argo." Aeryn stood up and walked towards the operating table. He was lying on it.   
John Crichton was lying on it. His leg had been bandaged up with gauze and fresh dressing put  
on the old wounds. "Has he woken up at all?" Her words came out weakly.  
  
Jool nodded slightly but didn't look the ex-peacekeeper in the eye. "An arn ago. He was up for a  
while but I had to give him more medicine." She pointed towards a half-empty bottle. "The pain  
was too much for him." There seemed to something else on the woman's mind as she spoke. A  
question she wanted to ask but knew she couldn't.  
  
Aeryn waited for it. She expected the question. If not from Jool, definitely from D'Argo. "There  
was a peacekeeper. He did this." She stopped short of saying anything else. The thought alone  
stung in her mind. "I'll be back later." Aeryn turned and left the room.  
  
Jool shook her head as the Sebacean made her way out the door. There was something definitely  
going on here that they weren't telling her. Her patient stirred a bit next to her. "No, Crichton.   
Go back to sleep."  
  
John grimaced at something just outside of consciousness. "Aeryn."   
  
  
  
D'Argo was pacing outside the lab with his Qualta blade out and swinging. He was angry, angrier  
than he'd been in a long time. The sword in his hand helped to ease the burning inside him. But it  
didn't help much. Whatever had happened down on the planet was Aeryn's fault. The Luxan  
didn't know how to explain that connection but he felt it somehow. The incident in the training  
room had driven Crichton down there. This new problem occurred after the ex-peacekeeper went  
down on her own.  
  
He was still standing there when Chiana came running down the hallway. She had been the one  
who found Crichton, beaten and stabbed, lying on the ground of the marketplace. The Nebari had  
dragged her unconscious companion back to the transport pod on her own. A feat that D'Argo  
was very proud of her for. "How's he doing?" The fear in her voice was obvious. They'd  
already lost one Crichton.  
  
"Jool is still in there with him. I haven't heard anything." There were no jokes about the new  
arrival's competency. The time for belittling had passed. If she could help Crichton, she was part  
of the crew as far as D'Argo and Chiana were concerned. "Chiana, did you see Aeryn down  
there?"   
  
The question caught her off guard. Chiana knew that something was going on with the ex-  
peacekeeper. Things hadn't been the same since she got back from Talyn. But there was  
something like suspicion in D'Argo's words. "No. I didn't see her till we got back here." She  
neglected to mention the little run-in they had gone through earlier.  
  
Both of them turned as the lab doors opened with a soft swishing sound. Jool walked out slowly  
and looked at them with a grim expression. "His leg will heal. But it's going to take a while."   
Her lower lip was trembling as she spoke. "Will someone please tell me what the frell is going  
on?"  
  
Chiana shrugged and D'Argo ignored the question. Neither of them felt like sharing their  
suspicions at the moment. The Luxan was the first to say anything in response. "Can I talk to  
him?" He didn't wait for an answer.  
  
  
  
John opened his eyes and flinched at what he saw. Another dark room, another operating table.   
But there was definitely something safer about this place. He was on Moya. "Hey?" The  
question went without a response. The human was apparently alone. There was still some pain  
from his leg but it had diminished since the last time. Whatever Jool had given him, it was  
working now. John heard the swish of a door opening.  
  
"Hello John. How are you feeling?" D'Argo stepped slowly into the room and made for the bed.   
He reached his arm out and patted Crichton on the back. The look of concern in his eyes was  
welcoming.  
  
"Like I've been stabbed." John nudged his head towards the carefully bandaged wound. A red  
stain was starting to show under it. "It's not as bad as it looks."  
  
D'Argo ignored the strained humor in his friend's voice and moved closer. There were thoughts  
in his head that he would have preferred not to explore. Nevertheless, his answers resided inside  
the broken down Human in front of him. "Tell me what happened John. The truth."  
  
Crichton frowned but nodded his head obediently. Somehow, he didn't think that D'Argo would  
settle for anything less. "Peacekeeper captured me. Wanted to turn me in for extra credit."  
  
Once again the Luxan refused to make light of the situation. He moved his hand over the wound.   
"And this? Where did this come from?" It had already occurred to him that peacekeepers didn't  
torture their victims unless they wanted something. In this case, it would have been smarter to  
take the prisoner intact. "Was it Aeryn?"  
  
Hearing the name certainly had an affect on John. He almost cringed at the sound of it. "You  
have to promise not to tell anyone. Not Chiana, not Pilot."  
  
D'Argo growled. He wanted to yell at John at that moment. "After all this, you still want to  
protect her? What has she done to deserve your forgiveness?"  
  
John sighed and lay back against his pillow. "I didn't say I'd forgiven her. Plus, it's not that easy.   
I can't just dismiss her." He had meant to say something else. But those words didn't seem  
appropriate at the moment. "I need you to understand that. Please D'Argo."  
  
  
Despite his anger and misgivings, D'Argo nodded. He knew what John was talking about. "I will  
keep the secret John. But not for Aeryn. For her I will do nothing." D'Argo stood and moved  
to leave the room. He felt something grab his arm.  
  
"Thanks man." Every bit of John's hand cried out in pain at the action. He let go of D'Argo and  
fell back down. "Thanks." The human closed his eyes and tried to sleep. It would be a difficult  
battle.  
  
  
  
"Not now Pilot!" John shouted the words into his comm before being thrown against the wall.   
His leg, or more specifically his wound, hit the side of the passageway hard. Of all the things that  
had gone terribly wrong in the past few weeks, at least his leg was getting better. There was only  
a small jolt when it made contact. John didn't really have much time to think about it. Power  
conduits were exploding down the hall. "Oh, I love my life."  
  
"Commander! Moya and I did not agree to this." Pilot's voice cut through the noise and made its  
way to the human's ears. "We agreed to accompany Talyn to within range of peacekeeper space.   
This is quite a bit more than that." There was worry in the creature's words. He was enduring  
much more pain than anyone on the ship save Moya.  
  
"Well, I didn't exactly plan this." Crichton was finding it hard to run and speak at the same time.   
He had to get to command as soon as possible. "What about starburst?" It seemed like an  
obvious solution.   
  
There was a short silence before Pilot returned to the comm. More explosions could be heard  
outside as the assault continued. Without Talyn's protection, Moya wouldn't last much longer.   
"Moya cannot starburst with that thing still attached."  
  
Before John could ask the question, a visual came to life on the clamshell closest to him. "What  
the hell is that?" A black device had been shot into Moya's side. Whatever it was, it definitely  
wasn't friendly.  
  
Pilot's face replaced the visual. "If Moya attempts to starburst with that attached, she'll be  
destroyed. You must remove it." Another blast shook the hallway and dispersed his image.   
  
  
  
At command, the others were still trying to make sense of the situation. The front portal showed  
what they were up against. Four sets of marauder/prowler combos were flying in the space  
between Moya and Talyn. Neither leviathan was having much luck fighting them off. One group  
was devoted to the mother while the others attacked Talyn.   
  
D'Argo stood in front of the manual starburst terminal and fought to keep a firm grip. "Pilot!   
Why the frell doesn't he answer?" Chiana and Aeryn were the only other people in the room but  
the question didn't seem to be addressed to them.   
  
Aeryn looked up from her own terminal and frowned. "If the comms are down, any system could  
go next. We need that manual starburst D'Argo!" Her words came out like orders. They were  
in her element after all. Still, the Luxan did not look pleased.  
  
"Where the frell is Crichton? He should be here by now." D'Argo tried his comm again but there  
was no answer. He looked at the starburst terminal again just as it was lighting up. "I have  
control-."  
  
Before D'Argo could finish, John came running into the room. "No! Stay away from starburst."   
Everyone glanced up to look at him with confused expressions. "Just trust me on this one. Pilot  
says we can't go yet." Sparks shot out from the walls as he spoke.  
  
Aeryn stepped forward with an angry look on her face. "Why not?" She froze before saying  
anything else. Despite what was going on around her, the ex-peacekeeper had just realized  
something. Those were the first two words she had spoken to John in weeks. "John!"  
  
Crichton let the same thought pass through his head. But he didn't allow it to slow him down.   
Ignoring her, he turned to D'Argo. "Bad guys outside attached something to Moya. We can't  
starburst till its gone."  
  
Both D'Argo and Aeryn moved to join the human. John stared at both of them in a moment of  
confusion. Door number one or door number two. Loyal buddy or...... "D'Argo, come on!"  
  
The two men started back out the room, leaving Aeryn behind. She felt the seething anger run  
through her. That was frelling it! Aeryn ran forward and grabbed John's arm. "Listen to me.   
It's a rudimentary control collar. I know how to disable it." There was pleading in her eyes.   
This was more than about her being the logical choice.  
  
John stared her down and shook his head. "Let go of me Aeryn." When she obeyed, he turned  
and ran after D'Argo. The ex-peacekeeper was left standing there with her mouth hanging open.  
  
Chiana, who had remained silent up until now, walked up beside the ex-peacekeeper. "Aeryn, just  
let him go. I need your help with this." The Nebari had gained a pretty good idea what happened  
on the commerce planet. She still tried to make it easier for Aeryn.   
  
"He doesn't trust me anymore." Aeryn pushed Chiana's extended hand away and moved to leave  
the room. She would find her own way to help.  
  
  
  
D'Argo squirmed into the narrow access shaft and spotted the black object. It was definitely  
peacekeeper. The familiar designs lined every side of the device. "John, I see it!" He felt the  
human coming up behind him.  
  
"You got any ideas?" John came up beside his friend and groaned. The thing they were supposed  
to get rid of was wedged well into the shaft. Adding insult to injury, it seemed to be expanding.  
  
"I have one." D'Argo pulled his Qualta blade out of its sheath.   
  
  
  
Pilot felt another concussion slam against Moya and send her reeling across space. The pain was  
worse than any he could remember. As if that weren't enough, Talyn was screaming into his ear  
for starburst. "Crichton, have you done it?" There was no answer from the comms. The creature  
heard a low humming sound instead. "Rygel?"  
  
The Hynerion floated up from below the den and nodded. "What the frell is going on Pilot? Why  
haven't we left yet?" Rygel didn't understand the angry look on Pilot's face.  
  
"Pilot! I'm outside. Where's the collar extension?" Both of them were surprised to hear Aeryn's  
voice over the comm. It sounded grainy and far away. But it was definitely there.  
  
  
  
D'Argo gave a final whack at the device with his sword and smiled. "I did it!" He shouted the  
words triumphantly as John looked on. The black object slid back out the hole it had made and  
disappeared.  
  
"Ok, let's get Pilot on the phone." John crawled back out of the access shaft and tried the comm.   
All he could hear was a crackling sound that reminded him of days without cable. "Pilot!"  
  
"I hear you commander. What is your status?" Pilot's voice sounded hopeful for the first time.  
  
"Starburst! We have starburst!" John sank to the floor with a smile on his face. D'Argo dropped  
down beside him and shrugged. Nothing happened. "Hey, what's the hold-up?"  
  
Pilot came through again. "Moya refuses to leave officer Sun behind."   
  
John's skin went ice cold and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. "Aeryn? Where is  
she?"  
  
  
  
Aeryn navigated through the pulse fire that surrounded Moya and tried to get a fix on the collar  
extension. She had already tried the comms to no avail. It was just her and the stars out there.   
Not to mention a squadron of attack ships. Something caught her attention by Moya's rear. "Oh  
frell." The black object was loose and flying towards her.  
  
  
"Aeryn, what are you doing out there?" The voice wasn't Pilot's and certainly not John's.   
  
"Crais, where are you?" Under the circumstances, Aeryn hoped he was somewhere close. Before  
either of them could respond, she felt D'Argo's new ship crash to one side. "Frell D'Argo. How  
do you use this thing?" Her field of vision outside the ship swung wildly. All control was lost.   
  
"Officer Sun, are you hit?" Talyn was right above her now. Crais stood at the controls with a  
distorted view of the space in front of him. He spotted Aeryn's ship again. "Talyn, deploy the  
docking web."  
  
Aeryn felt a strong tug on the ship coming from somewhere above her. She looked up and  
spotted Talyn's beautiful form. "Crais, starburst the frell out of here!" The leviathan hybrid  
dropped towards her and suddenly she was entering the hangar. Aeryn saw blue and black  
starburst energy before the doors shut her inside.  
  
  
  
Crais shielded his eyes from the blast of starburst energy and held onto a nearby console. Talyn  
was moving under stress and his systems were showing signs of the emotion. Something  
peacekeepers weren't supposed to have. "Talyn, is officer Sun safely aboard?" He knew the  
answer in less than a microt. The ex-captain could sense her presence. Aeryn Sun was back on  
Talyn and she was headed for command.   
  
She waved her hand over the door controls and stepped inside. This place had taken on a horrible  
new meaning for her ever since John had died. Everywhere she looked, Aeryn saw another  
distant and happy memory. Every one of those brought all the pain and confusion back with it.   
She didn't want to be here but it somehow seemed like a better option than returning to Moya.   
Aeryn saw Crais standing by the front portal.  
  
"Are you alright Aeryn?" Crais seemed genuinely concerned about her. Then again, he knew  
nothing of what had transpired on Moya and the commerce planet.   
  
She wondered if it would make a difference in his mind. Would Crais question her loyalty?   
Aeryn ran her hands over the controls and sighed. She was running away again wasn't she? It  
seemed like the best thing to do. "I'm fine Crais."  
  
Bialar looked over at her and shook his head. This was not the Aeryn Sun that he had grown to  
know and respect. There was something different about her. A slump in her shoulders, the  
distant look in her eyes. "Is there something wrong? Talyn can sense your discomfort."  
  
Aeryn smiled at the notion that the ship was concerned about her. After Crichton, it had been her  
chief concern for almost two cycles now. Maybe she could rearrange that. Maybe it would make  
the pain harder to bear. "I need to ask you something."  
  
Crais frowned. He wasn't sure how to respond. "Go on."  
  
Aeryn took a deep breath and walked towards him. "Does the offer still stand?" ***  
  
"Moya!" Pilot forced back the pain and focused on what had just happened. One microt he had  
Aeryn up on the screen. Her ship was spinning wildly out of control and heading towards Talyn.   
Then nothing. The leviathan hybrid had starburst and Moya wasn't letting him go alone. "Where  
is officer sun?" Pilot repeated the question. Moya didn't have an answer.  
  
"She went out there?" Rygel shook his head angrily and floated closer to the console. "Serves  
her right for what she did." The little Hynerion stiffened his lower lip and nodded. He  
remembered what Chiana had let slip.  
  
"Rygel, this is hardly the time-." Pilot stopped in mid-sentence. Somehow he didn't think that  
Rygel was talking about the incident in the training room. "What did Aeryn do?"  
  
The floating Dominar smiled and leaned in close to Pilot. "I heard she turned Crichton over to the  
peacekeepers. That she helped torture him before he got away." That wasn't actually what he  
had heard. But it was always fun to exaggerate.   
  
"That's preposterous! Aeryn Sun would never do that." Despite his conviction, Pilot's words  
lacked strength. A lot of things had happened in the past few weeks that he would never have  
expected to. "I don't think."  
  
Rygel saw that he was gaining ground with the creature. "Well, if she's alive, you can ask her  
yourself." He turned and headed for the door. All this turmoil. It reminded him of play acting  
back at the Royal Palace. "Splendid."  
  
Pilot watched him go with a new pain inside him. He couldn't bring himself to believe what the  
Hynerion had said. But it was still troubling to hear. "No Moya, I can't imagine it either."  
  
  
  
"Do you think she did it on purpose?" Chiana looked over at D'Argo with a mischievous grin on  
her face. "Aeryn was pretty angry when you two left without her."  
  
D'Argo growled as he turned towards the young Nebari. A similar thought had passed through  
his head, but it didn't seem likely. Aeryn had never been that dramatic. "Either way, she got the  
desired affect." The Luxan slammed his fist down on the table. "Women!"  
  
"Oh, shut up." Chiana left her seat and walked over next to him. "You're just mad cause she  
took your new toy." She saw that D'Argo wasn't responding to her remark. Then again, anger  
didn't hide very well on his face.  
  
He ignored Chiana and stood to leave the room. John had run off after hearing what happened.   
For all his supposed stubbornness, the human was quick to forget what Aeryn Sun had done to  
him. "Frell, Crichton. You're hopeless."  
  
Chiana laughed out loud and patted him on the back. "On that at least, we agree."  
  
  
  
  
He sat against the Terrace's smooth surface and watched the blue starburst energy flow by.   
Every once and a while, John thought he caught a glimpse of a star through the blinding light.   
That probably had some deeper meaning that he wasn't considering. "Frell." The word just  
reminded him of Aeryn. "Frell that too." John reached down and pulled his pant leg up. The  
space around his wound was still purple and sore.   
  
"You shouldn't be exerting yourself." Jool walked slowly into the room and sat down across  
from him. She had been hiding in her quarters during the attack. Her hands were still shaking a  
little. "John? Did you hear me?"  
  
Crichton raised a hand to show that he had heard. He didn't really feel like talking but it felt good  
to have someone there. That someone always used to be-. "Hey Jool. It's safe to come out  
now."  
  
Jool frowned at his joke. "I wasn't hiding. Don't change the subject." There wasn't exactly a  
subject but she was hoping to steer the conversation that way. Frell, hardly a cycle on this ship  
and she nosier than Rygel.  
  
"What was the subject?" John wasn't going to do her job for her. He managed a weak smile but  
kept his eyes on the space outside. Direct eye contact was too much to ask right now.  
  
"Which one are you hoping for?"   
  
That comment caused John to turn around. He stared at Jool's feet like a wounded dog. "Which  
what?  
  
Jool nodded. "Whether Aeryn's alive or if she's gone." She saw the immediate change in the  
human's face. He looked conflicted. She was happy to see that. Revenge was such a barbaric  
notion. Even if she herself had indulged in it from time to time.  
  
"You're very annoying. Do you know that?" John tried to keep a straight face but it quickly  
slipped into a smile.  
  
"That's because I don't waste time with dren." Jool wasn't joking.  
  
"Then what are you doing here?" Neither was John.  
  
  
  
"Aeryn, are you sure about this?" Crais had understood what she had meant immediately.   
Though the ex-captain hadn't been made aware of the circumstances, he knew enough to see that  
Aeryn was willing to commit. Even if it wasn't in her best interests.  
  
  
"No, so don't waste time." Aeryn kept her responses short and without emotion. She stared at  
Crais and realized that she liked him even less than before. John had never liked him. "What does  
Talyn say?"  
  
The leviathan hybrid came to life at her words. Apparently Talyn was eager to have her plugged  
in again. Truthfully, he could sense something was wrong with Aeryn. Talyn remembered  
everything that had happened in the past half-cycle. The human, Crichton, he had come and gone.   
Crichton had taken something from Aeryn. Something that Talyn didn't understand. The gun  
ship didn't care. He wanted Aeryn.  
  
"Talyn is eager to have you." Crais waited for the nod that did eventually come. The uncertainty  
in Aeryn's voice still worried him though. The last thing that Talyn needed was an emotional  
breakdown. For the moment, Bialar allowed himself to forget what was best. He agreed with  
Talyn. He wanted Aeryn.  
  
One of the control consoles lit up and extended a small cannister. Inside sat the black transponder  
that Aeryn had rejected after the Budong. That memory was still stuck firmly in Talyn's mind. It  
made this moment even more triumphant. "Talyn has offered you this. Take it Aeryn."  
  
Aeryn stepped forward and looked down at the small device. She remembered how it had felt to  
be part of such a beautiful creation. "I will take it." The ex-peacekeeper reached out with an  
unsteady hand and took the transponder. Talyn began to tremble slightly. That along with the  
turbulence of starburst made Aeryn stumble. She did not fall.   
  
Crais saw her hesitation and shook his head. His frelling conscience was actually nagging at him.   
"Are you sure this is the right decision?"   
  
She looked up at Crais. The look in her eyes seemed to shout no but Aeryn ignored it. "Not the  
right decision. My only choice." She pulled her hair up and jammed the transponder into place.   
Every light on Talyn went out. Aeryn screamed.  
  
  
  
"Crichton!" Pilot shouted the human's name with all his strength. Pain erupted from every orifice  
of his body. DRD's all around the ship stopped dead in their tracks. Moya rolled to the side and  
exploded out of starburst. Pilot's head sunk down against the console and he tasted blood in his  
mouth. "Talyn is-."  
  
John ran into the den and jumped onto the console. He had heard Pilot's cries and come running  
immediately. Whatever had just happened, it didn't look good. "Pilot? What the hell happened?"   
Another blast rocked the console and sent him flying back to the ground.  
  
"Talyn is firing on us!" Pilot spit the words out along with some nasty green stuff. He could hear  
Moya screaming from all directions. She didn't know what had happened but her offspring kept  
repeating one name. "Crichton!"  
  
"Crais! What the frell is going on?" John wasn't sure if the comms would work but he couldn't  
think of anything else. Static noise came out of the device but nothing else. Things were  
probably going bad there too. "Crais, answer me you-!" John stopped himself and turned back to  
Pilot. Chewing out the good captain wasn't going to do any good.  
  
Pilot managed to reach one of the controls in front of him. An image came up between him and  
the waiting human. Talyn was shaking wildly and firing his cannon in all directions.   
Unfortunately, Moya was the only target within range. "Crichton, he's calling your name."  
  
John didn't understand what that meant. "What did I do to Talyn?"  
  
Before either of them could say anything else, the assault ceased. Talyn stopped firing and  
returned to a stationary orbit. Pilot spit out some more gunk and then looked up at John. "I  
believe Aeryn is on Talyn."  
  
Crichton's shoulders slumped a little. "Well, that explains it."  
  
  
  
Talyn's command room was still bathed in darkness. Consoles began to turn on one by one. The  
dim light cast a strange orange glow. Aeryn tasted blood in her mouth and spit it out. She must  
not have been lying on the floor because the warm liquid didn't go anywhere. "What the frell just  
happened?" Aeryn wasn't addressing the question to anyone in particular. No one answered her.  
  
"Talyn, are you alright?" Crais lifted himself off the ground and steadied himself against a  
console. He closed his eyes and saw everything again. That was because the leviathan was  
running it over and over. Neither ship nor captain could explain what they had seen. A burst of  
images had appeared in their mind's eye. Aeryn and Crichton.  
  
Both Aeryn and Crais looked up as Talyn began to turn all the lights on again. The strange pulses  
that signified his voice began to sound. Aeryn didn't get anything from her transponder. The ex-  
captain was hearing just fine.  
  
"Officer Sun, what was that?" Bialar asked the question sternly. There was no hint of concern in  
his voice. It was an exchange between captain and soldier.   
  
Aeryn stared in disbelief at the man who had, just moments ago, welcomed her on board. The  
look in his eyes was one she recognized well. He had worn the same look when Velorek was  
taken away, kicking and screaming. But there was no hint of approval this time. Only disgust.   
"It's none of your concern."  
  
Crais sneered at her. "When you took that transponder Aeryn, you gave up your right to privacy.   
Talyn doesn't understand the meaning of the word." That got a response out of the gun ship  
before he could continue. "Forgive me Talyn. I was simply making a point."  
  
"Talyn, you needn't worry about this. Crichton isn't an issue any longer." The words stung  
coming out of her mouth. It was what Aeryn had been trying to accomplish in the first place.   
Clearly, running away wasn't that easy.   
  
Shaking his head, Crais stepped forward and faced Aeryn. They were no more than a few inches  
apart. Interestingly enough, there was no discomfort. Whatever awkwardness might have been  
there before had disappeared. "Betrayal is a concept that Talyn is quite familiar with. He did not  
expect it from you."  
  
Aeryn pushed him back angrily. "Who are you to judge me? You're no one to speak high  
mindedly about betrayal." She stopped short of saying anything else. The auto-defenses had been  
triggered when she pushed Crais. They were aimed at her.  
  
"As interesting as that debate could be, Aeryn, it makes no difference to Talyn." Crais reached  
out with his hand and ripped the transponder off her neck. Aeryn never moved. "We are not a  
refuge for the emotionally disturbed. Perhaps you are mistaking us for Moya."  
  
Aeryn didn't speak a word throughout his speech. Whatever resolve she had held onto was  
quickly draining away. She couldn't hide from John here. "I'm sorry Talyn." Aeryn had said that  
a lot lately.   
  
"As soon as it is safe to do so, you should leave." Crais backed away from her and moved to  
leave the room. He wondered if this anger came more from him than Talyn. Either way, Aeryn  
Sun couldn't stay on board. He left her standing there. With Talyn.  
  
Aeryn had only been standing there a microt when the voice filled her thoughts. The transponder  
was gone but it didn't make a difference. Talyn was still there with her. "Yes, I said you couldn't  
understand." She felt foolish about that now. The leviathan hybrid knew more than he let on.   
One of the control consoles lit up in front of her.   
  
"What are you showing me?" Aeryn stepped forward to get a better look. The screen showed  
her and John lying together in their room. He had been teaching her to speak English. Another  
screen lit up. It showed a short-range scan photo of the Crichton on Moya. He was standing  
next to Pilot. His eyes looked sad. "You're confused?"  
  
Talyn didn't answer her right away. Both images moved until they were side by side on the  
monitor. A series of words and figures appeared underneath them. Aeryn understood what he  
was showing her. "Biological match."  
  
  
  
John watched quietly as Pilot went about fixing what had happened. Dozens of DRD's scurried  
by his feet in a frenzy of cleanup duties. The human had a question on the tip of his tongue. The  
same one that had come up after the sudden attack. Somehow, John couldn't bring himself to ask  
then. It wasn't getting any easier. "Hey Pilot."  
  
The creature looked up and attempted a smile. His face still showed signs of the pain that had  
gone through Moya. "Yes Crichton?" After all this time, he still referred to John by his last  
name. It just seemed more appropriate.  
  
"Moya have any idea what happened to Talyn?" It was an indirect way of getting to what he  
really wanted to know. Surely Pilot could see right through it. John hoped that he would.   
  
Pilot nodded and pushed some buttons on his console. "Apparently, there was some sort of  
power surge. Moya cannot discern from what." The creature knew how this game was played.   
"Actually, I-." Something stopped him. "There's a message coming in from Talyn."  
  
John felt the air in his lungs dissipate. But he couldn't let himself hope that it was Aeryn. The  
human reminded himself of all that had happened. The beating, the stabbing. It was awful and  
horribly inexcusable. It made sense. "You'll let me know what it says?" John headed for the  
door.  
  
"Commander, It's for you."  
  
  
  
The farscape module still flew like a dream after all this time. It felt good to be riding the ole  
hunk of junk again. Something that John had helped built. Something from home. He replayed  
the message in his head on the way to Talyn. John had been more than a little surprised to see  
Crais. Yet it was somehow preferable to getting a goodbye note from Aeryn.   
  
"John, this is foolish."   
  
He hadn't said that. "Not now Harv." The voice was quieted.  
  
The message had been short and sweet. Crais had appeared on the screen and asked John to  
come over. There was no mention of why. What else could it be? John wasn't sure why, but he  
felt uneasy about boarding Talyn. It wasn't just the obvious reason either. Visiting the other  
John's and Aeryn's playground was bad enough. He didn't feel safe there.  
  
Talyn's hangar doors slid open and allowed the module to enter without incident. In side by side  
comparison, John suddenly felt very small. He parked beside D'Argo's ship and jumped onto the  
hard ground. A red and black DRD scurried up to him and blinked its lights.   
  
"I'm watching you." John shook the willies off himself and passed by the little creature. He  
refused to turn around. It was probably still sitting there.  
  
"Crichton, please come to command." Crais's voice boomed over Talyn's speaker system. The  
sound was grainy and distorted but John didn't seem to mind. That voice was unmistakable.  
  
"Fine. Now where the hell is command?" Baby Talyn had gotten bigger in the last half-cycle.  
  
  
  
John passed his hand over the door control and watched it light up. "Definitely art nouveau." He  
waited for the door to swish open and then entered the room. It was empty save for Talyn's  
familiar humming neural core. The red and white ceiling above John's head flashed and whirred  
as he passed under it. "Hello? Anybody home?"  
  
Something by the forward portal caught his eye. A little black object was sitting on the floor.   
John didn't know what it was but there was something familiar about it. "What do we have  
here?" He reached for it but was immediately cut off.   
  
"Don't touch that." Crais's image appeared on the screen in front of him. The warning repeated  
over and over without change. The ex-captain's face rippled as the picture succumbed to  
distortion.  
  
"What the hell?" John suddenly realized what was going on. Talyn had sent the message, not  
Crais. He pulled out his pulse pistol and looked around. Still nothing. The auto-guns weren't  
even out. They were tucked safely into the wall. John looked down at the black object again. As  
he watched, a long black arm came out of the floor and grabbed the object.   
  
"The hand of friendship?" He remembered what Aeryn had described all that time ago.   
Somehow, John didn't think that Talyn wanted to be best friends. He aimed his gun at it.  
  
"John, don't."  
  
He turned around and spotted Aeryn. She had been hiding in the shadows, watching him.   
"Aeryn? What the hell is going on?" John knew what was going on. He had expected it.   
Wanted it even.  
  
There was no gun in her holster. Aeryn was dressed simply in her leather pants and vest.   
Nowhere to hide a weapon. Nothing that posed a threat. She took a step towards him. Her  
hands were shaking. "I asked Talyn to bring you here. I was hoping you'd stay. We could talk."  
  
No sound penetrated the room's silence for several microts. Not even Talyn was making noises  
at this point. John and Aeryn stood facing each other.  
  
John's hands felt ice cold to the touch. "There are a lot of reasons why I shouldn't."  
  
Aeryn nodded. Her lower lip was trembling. "There are a lot of reasons.  
  
Neither of them moved. *** 


	2. The Mourning Process 2: No Easy Answers

Neither of them moved.  
  
John finally took a moment to look around the room. Despite Talyn's current state of quiet, he  
could tell that the boy was still listening in. The thought was unsettling, though not as much as  
before. "Hey Talyn, could we have some privacy?"  
  
She heard the words on what appeared to be a timed delay. Aeryn broke her stare at the floor in  
front of Crichton and looked around. "Talyn, do as he says."  
  
The human shook his head and waved his hand at the controls. "What are the odds that he's still  
listening in?"  
  
Aeryn smiled. It felt good to smile, even if her John didn't get to see it. "More than likely."  
  
John saw her smile and tried to do the same. Somehow it seemed harder than before. "So, you  
wanted to talk?" The irony in that statement was not lost on either of them.  
  
The ex-peacekeeper nodded and began to take a step forward. She looked up and made eye  
contact with John. Suddenly Aeryn felt very nervous. Frell! She felt nervous about talking to  
Crichton. "Losing the other you brought more grief than I can bear. But I think losing you  
would kill me."  
  
John's mouth dropped open a little. The straightforwardness of that comment alone was enough  
to make his heart stop. Sure, she had said the L word. But in a situation like this, maybe saying I  
love you wasn't enough.  
  
Aeryn watched him closely. She could sense that he was trying to hold something back. "Well,  
say something!"  
  
"Aeryn, in the past few weeks I've been ignored, beaten, stabbed, and betrayed. Just about all by  
you. I'm still here. I'm not going anywhere." John started to say something else but he  
hesitated. Better to let her talk now.  
  
She stopped her forward movement and waited for a moment. "But?"  
  
John rubbed his forehead with his hand. He was surprised to find that he was sweating. It was  
getting warmer on Talyn. Lights began to flicker on one by one. Crichton flinched at each one.   
His companion didn't seem to notice. "I can't just forget all of this. It'll take time." Both of  
them knew where that came from.  
  
Aeryn gave a quiet sigh of relief. "I think we both need some right now." Just as she finished,  
Talyn's main neural center lit up. There was no mystery to it now, he was back in full force.   
Somehow, she didn't care.  
  
They both took a step towards each other. Some of the tension there had definitely been lifted.   
But there was still plenty of room for them to deal with.   
  
John reached forward and lightly passed his finger across her cheek. She flinched only slightly.   
"Maybe we should-."  
  
"Aeryn, why haven't you answered your comm?!" The doors to command slid open just as Crais  
came barreling past them. The look on his face made the other two stop dead in their tracks. The  
captain was serious.  
  
"I had it turned off. I'm sorry." Aeryn switched the device back on quickly and pulled away from  
John. "What's wrong?"  
  
Crais appeared to ignore Aeryn's question. He walked over to Crichton and put a hand on the  
Human's shoulder. "Crichton, we're there. Talyn has found Scorpius."  
  
John stared blankly at Crais for a moment without saying a word. He was still trying to process  
the information. "Scorpius?" He saw that Crais was pointing towards one of the visual displays.   
Indeed, the command carrier appeared there in all its terrible splendor. "Oh hell."  
  
  
  
Pilot was running yet another diagnostic check on Moya when he saw it. Or more accurately, he  
saw what the leviathan saw. Through long range scan, the creature could see a giant black  
battleship floating in space. There was absolutely no doubt. It was a peacekeeper command  
carrier. "Attention everyone. We have a problem."  
  
D'Argo was running back to his quarters when he heard the announcement. The Luxan quickly  
changed directions and headed to Pilot's den. John had already been gone for a while. Who  
knew what could have happened. "What's happening Pilot?" He practically smacked a hole  
through the comm.  
  
"Moya senses a command carrier within her sensor range." There was obvious panic in Pilot's  
voice. This was exactly why he had only agreed to come so far. "I suggest you all prepare for  
starburst."  
  
Rygel poked his head up from just below the den and nodded. "Yes Pilot. Starburst us the frell  
away from here! Let Crichton get himself killed on his own time." The little Hynerion regretted  
the words right after he said them. "Frell, I hate my life."  
  
"No Pilot! Do not starburst." D'Argo charged through the den's open door and approached  
Pilot's console. He ignored Rygel's comments.   
  
Pilot stared at the Luxan in confusion. When Crichton had first announced his plans, D'Argo had  
been quick to object. It seemed that minds had been changed in the past few weeks. "I  
understand D'Argo. I'm prepping a transport pod for you."  
  
  
"Fine, go get yourself killed too. It's not like we're not used to it by now." Rygel inserted his  
input though it was clear that the gift was unnecessary. He swivelled in his throne sled and  
looked back at Pilot. "We'll starburst as soon as this farhbot Luxan gets off."  
  
Pilot frowned at his Hynerion companion. "As much as I hate to admit this, you're right."  
  
  
  
She watched him enter the hangar but stayed in the shadows. Chiana remembered seeing him  
leave like this once before. The chances of them seeing each other next to nothing. "You weren't  
going to tell me?"   
  
D'Argo jumped at her voice and turned around. "I didn't want you to feel bad about staying  
behind." He saw the hurt expression on her face. "Yours is the right decision."  
  
Chiana scowled at him. "It is the right decision! Crichton, Aeryn, and Crais, they're all gonna  
die. I don't need any frelling flash to tell me that." Truthfully, she couldn't see anything about  
what was going to happen. It was all dark. No little lights to guide her.  
  
The Luxan frowned and walked over to her. "You're probably right about that too. But it  
doesn't change anything." He gave his best attempt at a smile and turned back towards the  
transport pod. "Keep Moya safe for me while I'm gone."  
  
Chiana watched him climb the steps with a growing feeling of nausea in her stomach. She took a  
step forward and promptly dropped to the ground. A flash of something. "D'Argo!"  
  
He turned around at the pod entrance and waved goodbye to her.   
  
"No you idiot! You're forgetting something." Chiana shook her head.  
  
  
  
The three of them were gathered around a large table set up in command. Crais had taken charge  
of the meeting. Of all of them, he had the best knowledge of command carriers. "I have a plan.   
It's a risk, but under the circumstances..."  
  
Both John and Aeryn nodded. There was no sign of whatever awkwardness had been going on  
before. It was time for battle again.  
  
"Crais, this is a full command carrier. Talyn could never take it on alone." Aeryn looked around  
her beloved ship with new worry. She didn't want to lose more to Scorpius than she already had.  
  
"Officer Sun, I wouldn't allow Talyn to become involved unless I felt sure about his safety." A  
visual of the carrier appeared in front of them. Every angle and detail was accounted for.  
  
  
"So what are we going to do Crais? I don't think throwing pebbles at a boulder is going help  
much." John reached his hand out and touched the image in front of him. Somewhere in there,  
Scorpius was screwing with a piece of his brain.  
  
Bialar shook his head. "Just listen to me. There is one vulnerable spot on a command carrier that  
I believe we can exploit." He nodded to Talyn and the image changed. "It's main weapons are  
the frag cannons. Talyn cannot defend against their firepower."  
  
Aeryn cut into his speech. "Those are located on the front and rear of each side. How could that  
possibly be an advantage?"  
  
Crais smiled. He seemed to be enjoying his stint as an authority figure. "You forget, Aeryn, that  
Talyn is still relatively small compared to a command carrier. Look here." He pointed towards  
an area directly in between the four sets of frag cannons.  
  
John began to understand what was being said. "So Talyn gets into the safety zone. Then what?"  
  
"Peacekeepers won't be expecting that. No vessel small enough to use this maneuver can rival  
Talyn's arsenal. He would only have to worry about prowlers and marauders."  
  
Aeryn frowned. "Only prowlers and marauders? What about Vigilantes with immobilizer  
cannons?"  
  
The ex-captain glanced over at her. "Scorpius is very cunning. We cannot underestimate him.   
But-."  
  
"He won't be expecting Talyn. Not like this." John listened to himself say the words. As crazy  
as it sounded, he actually bought the idea.  
  
"Yes. Then while Talyn distracts the opposition, we can enter the command carrier and do what  
needs to be done." Crais backed away from the image. He thought about what his old academy  
teachers would say about this plan. "Are we agreed?"  
  
Aeryn looked over at John and saw the determined look in his eyes. It didn't really matter what  
she said. These other two idiots would do it anyway. "Alright. Let's do it."  
  
  
  
"What the hell is she doing here?" John ran into the hangar just as the transport pod doors slid  
open. He caught a glimpse of D'Argo, Qualta blade in hand, walking down the steps. Behind the  
Luxan, Jool stepped slowly forward. The look on her face was one that John was used to seeing  
by now. The princess was scared out of her mind.  
  
D'Argo walked up to Crichton and growled. The human took a step back. "John, she's the only  
one of us who knows a thing about medicine. I'm not dying without a fight." He started to move  
again when John grabbed his shoulder.  
  
"Maybe, but she doesn't know anything about fighting. You want to get her killed too?" John  
already felt bad about risking his friend's life. More guilt was not something he needed.  
  
"I'm standing right here Crichton!" Jool's fear quickly turned to defensiveness. She might not  
want to be here but she wouldn't be treated like a child. The Interon let out a breath as she took  
in Talyn's interior. "Frell."  
  
John ignored her and looked back at D'Argo. "Fine, but she stays on the ship. No exceptions."   
He signaled for them to continue on to command.  
  
"Crais's plan, are you sure about it?" This time D'Argo was the one to stop. "John, do you trust  
him?"  
  
"No," John shook his head impatiently, "I don't trust him." He looked down at the floor then  
back to his friend. "But I'm still going."  
  
D'Argo nodded. "Do you trust Aeryn?"  
  
John froze in his tracks. He made eye contact with the Luxan but said nothing.  
  
"I didn't expect you to answer. Let's go." D'Argo walked past the human and headed further  
into the ship.   
  
John motioned for Jool to follow him and then started off the same way. It took a few seconds to  
catch up to D'Argo.   
  
The Luxan shook his head as Jool ran to catch up to them. "It was Chiana's idea.."   
  
John smiled. "Don't worry D. Everything's gonna be fine."  
  
  
  
Everything wasn't fine.  
  
John fell out of the chair and landed on the cold metal floor. His cheek connected solidly and he  
tasted blood in his mouth. A shadow fell over him. Something was coming out of the darkness.   
It was whispering his name.  
  
"John, I'm ashamed of you. That has to be the worst plan I have ever heard." Scorpius reached  
forward and grabbed the human's head in his hands. "Though I do appreciate you saving me the  
trouble." The hybrid lifted John up and settled him into the chair once again.  
  
"What can I say Scorpy? I couldn't stay away?" John slumped back in his seat and laughed. It  
hurt to laugh. He had to buy some time. Then maybe he'd get out of this alive. But that damn  
chair!  
  
"Are you waiting for something John? If so, I'm sure you're wasting your time." Scorpius  
stumbled slightly as the room pitched to the side again. The Leviathan outside was making things  
difficult for the navigation crew. "Let's go again." He motioned towards the nurse on duty. She  
nodded and flipped a switch.  
  
John pooled his energy up and thrust himself forward. The restraints kept him on the chair but  
the maneuver had worked. He stayed just out of range. "Forget it Scorpy. You're not getting  
anything-."  
  
Scorpius walked up and shoved the human's head back into position. "Do it again!"  
  
The doors to their left slid open and an explosion blasted inward. A fireball shot through the  
opening and barbequed a number of pks unlucky enough to be in the way. Scorpius growled like  
the half-Scarren he was but it was too late. Pulse rifle fire was already coming through.  
  
D'Argo charged into the room with his Qualta blade switched into its rifle configuration. He  
growled a reply to Scorpius and then fired in his direction. The hybrid took cover behind John.  
  
"Crichton! Where are you?" The Luxan continued forward until he was facing the Aurora Chair.   
His target was no longer behind it. But John was ready and waiting to go.   
  
"Man, am I glad to see you." John tore himself free of the restraints and stood up. His legs were  
still wobbly but effective. "Have you heard anything from Crais and Aeryn?"  
  
D'Argo shook his head. "Let's just get the frell out of here. If they're alive, they'll be at the  
rendezvous point." He turned and headed for the door.  
  
John looked around the room and smiled at the chaos. A dozens fires were scattered about in  
every direction. Dead soldiers covered the floors. The living ones had already taken cover.   
"Always gotta leave that calling card." He ran after D'Argo.  
  
  
  
Crais could feel Talyn raging with anger outside. He felt it all over his body. The sensation was  
almost exhilarating. His gun ship was doing exactly what it had been bred to do. The ex-captain  
finished setting the explosive charge and turned to his companion. She had stopped a few metras  
ahead. Crais couldn't tell why.  
  
"Aeryn, we've got to get out of here." He came up beside her and tried to figure out what was  
going on. What he saw was most discomforting.  
  
Aeryn stood motionless in front of the glass screen. Despite her best efforts, the shield was  
impenetrable with the weapons she had. Inside, an operating table stood in plain sight. She  
recognized the patient. "Crais, give me one of your explosives."  
  
Bialar shook his head angrily. "Listen to me Aeryn. It's not going to matter soon." He didn't  
like the look she had. This was already affecting the schedule.  
  
"Give it to me!" Aeryn wasn't going to bargain with him on this one. She turned and grabbed his  
collar. "I'm not leaving him like this."  
  
Crais nodded slowly and handed her a small black device. The detonators were already installed.   
"I trust you know how to work it." It was a stupid thing to say.  
  
She took the explosive and jammed it up against the shield. The adhesive bonded immediately to  
it. There was nothing left to do but wait. "We can go now."  
  
The ex-captain hesitated for a moment. "Aeryn, I want you to go to the rendezvous point  
without me. There's something personal I have to collect." Crais gave his most authoritative  
look. Aeryn wasn't the only one who could stand firm.  
  
"That's insane. If you don't come with me now, you won't make it off in time." Aeryn didn't  
know what was going on but she didn't like it. They'd be frelled if Talyn lost his captain on this  
frelling ship. "It can't be that important."  
  
"I've made up my mind. Just go find Crichton and D'Argo. I'll steal a prowler and meet up with  
you outside." Crais didn't give her time to argue. He dropped the bag of explosives and headed  
off with his pulse pistol in hand. There wasn't much time left.  
  
Aeryn sighed and looked back through the glass. What she saw made her shiver. Made the guilt  
come back even worse. "I'm sorry John." She put a hand up to the shield.   
  
'We shouldn't have done it that way. I should have buried you on a planet. A place like Earth.'   
Aeryn didn't know how the peacekeepers had found him. But they weren't going to keep him.   
"Send them to hell John." She ran off to meet the others.  
  
  
  
This was the place. D'Argo kicked open the door and John followed him inside. The room was  
small. It was filled with an assortment of sanitation equipment. The smell was nauseating. John  
moved to the back and started knocking on walls.  
  
"I found it." His fist connected with the wall and made the right sound. According to Crais, this  
was the thinnest area of the command carrier's bulkhead. "Where the hell is Aeryn?  
  
D'Argo came up beside him and frowned. "We haven't heard anything from them. It's possible  
they might be-."  
  
"I'm here!" Aeryn burst through the door with her pulse pistol held out in front of her. No point  
in taking any more chances. She looked at the two men and nodded. "Crais isn't coming."  
  
"He's dead?" It surprised John that he had such a large reaction to the possibility. Crais would  
never be his friend. But...  
  
"No, he said he'd meet us later. Have you contacted Talyn?" Aeryn wasn't wasting any more  
time on sentementalism. Though she was also surprised by John's outburst.  
  
D'Argo cut in. "You've got the transmitter."  
  
Aeryn nodded and pulled the device out of her pack. "Talyn, can you hear me?" A series of  
unintelligible noises came through the speaker. "He's here."  
  
All three of them backed away as the signal continued to get louder. Talyn was zeroing in on  
them with his cannon. There was an explosion on the other side of the bulkhead. The leviathan  
hybrid was breaking through.  
  
  
  
Crais didn't have any trouble getting back to his quarters. Much of the ship was newly staffed but  
it didn't really make a difference. Everyone around him seemed preoccupied with something else.   
The ex-peacekeeper stepped back out of the room that used to be his. He tucked the black box  
into his jacket and started off down the hall.   
  
He hadn't gotten far when it became clear that someone was following him. Crais turned around  
and drew his pulse pistol. There was a figure hiding in the shadows. "Scorpius?"  
  
The creature came forward as his name was called. Part of his heat regulating suit had melted  
away around the face. Scorpius looked like he was in pain. "Captain Crais, don't shoot."  
  
Bialar raised his gun and aimed it at the abomination's head. "Speak quickly. I've an  
appointment to meet."  
  
Scorpius nodded and took a step forward. "I can help you. We don't have to be enemies." He  
did his best to convey sincerity. One must always be careful with unpredictable foes. Bialar Crais  
had become unpredictable. "Help me got off this ship."  
  
Crais didn't hesitate. He fired three shots into the monster's legs and chest. "No more deals."   
He stepped over the wounded hybrid and continued on his way.  
  
Scorpius felt the searing pain under his suit. It was not the worst he had every experienced. Still,  
it might prove to be the most destructive. "Crais!" No one answered him.  
  
  
  
  
"Frell, frell, frell!" Jool knelt down on the ground and starting picking up the scattered medical  
equipment she had dropped. So much for uninfected instruments. "I hate this place!" She  
looked up at the black and red leviathan with scorn. "Did you hear me?" Apparently Talyn had  
heard her. He started to shake wildly.  
  
"Sorry?" A noise from the hangar doors made her freeze. Something was coming in. Jool  
buttoned up her lab coat and rushed to greet whoever had made it back alive. "Crichton!   
D'Argo!" She clasped her hands together in silent prayer. 'Let them be alive.'  
  
John and Aeryn stumbled into the inner hangar with their Luxan crew mate in tow. "Jool! Get  
your stuff here now!" John yelled the words out as D'Argo slumped to the ground in front of  
him. The big guy was too big for them to carry very far.  
  
D'Argo opened his eyes and looked up at the three faces standing over him. He suddenly  
remembered what Chiana had said. Frelling Nebari. She had been right again. "Where am I?"   
The wound in his shoulder was starting to feel worse. It seemed Talyn hadn't been as accurate as  
they hoped. A piece of shrapnel had torn lose from the wall and almost skewered him.  
  
"Jool, can you take care of him?" Aeryn reached for a towel of the medicine cart and covered the  
wound. The material quickly soaked up with blood. Dark blood.  
  
"Make it run clear, then close up right?" Jool had been careful to remember each of their  
particulars. "I can do it." She smiled proudly.  
  
"Yes, that's fine." Aeryn motioned to John and started off towards command. "Talyn's going to  
need me up there."  
  
John nodded and moved to follow. "I'm right behind you."  
  
  
  
Aeryn slid her hand over the door controls and stepped inside. Control panels everywhere were  
flashing on and off. Outside, Talyn's main cannon was still firing wildly at the command carrier  
below. A timer had been set up on the visual monitor. It was running out of time.  
  
"What's happening?" John rushed through the doors and looked around. "This is bad right?" He  
moved over to the forward portal and smiled. Things had almost worked out as planned. Well,  
maybe not quite almost.  
  
Before Aeryn could answer him, a loud roar filled the room followed by an eruption of bright  
white light. Both of them were knocked to the ground as Talyn was thrown by the shockwave.   
The command carrier had exploded. There was nothing left.  
  
"Things are very bad." Aeryn whispered the words to no one in particular. "Talyn! Did you  
track any prowlers outside the ship?" One the screens lit up as she spoke. It showed a group of  
twelve ships leaving the carrier's hangar right before the blast. There was no positive id match for  
Crais.  
  
"What the hell does that mean?" John walked over to the image and groaned. He was starting to  
get the picture.  
  
A whirring sound came from above their heads. Aeryn recognized it well. It meant things were  
getting worse. Two auto-gun turrets lowered from the ceiling. One was aimed at John, the other  
at her. "He thinks we abandoned Crais."  
  
"What? Tell him we didn't." John took a step forward and the gun followed him. "Creepy."  
  
"Talyn, listen to me. This is Aeryn. I would never leave Captain Crais behind intentionally. You  
know that." She waited for some kind of reply. Talyn seemed to be considering the statement.   
Recent developments were probably making him unsure.   
  
The auto-gun pointed away from Aeryn. "Thank you Taly-." She froze when she saw what was  
happening. Both guns were aimed at John.  
  
"Aeryn, little help here." John looked up at the guns and felt his sweat count increase. This was  
definitely a bad thing. He closed his eyes. There had to be something he could say. Something  
that would make Talyn back down. Wait, there was something.  
  
"On the jungle planet, Talyn. I could've killed Crais or left him to die. But I brought him back  
for you." The words were out of his mouth before John knew what he was saying. They seemed  
to have the desired affect. Talyn backed down.  
  
Aeryn's eyes practically bulged out of their sockets. She shot a confused look across the room.   
"John, how did you-." The ex-peacekeeper didn't get to finish her sentence.  
  
Talyn went completely dark around them. That meant nothing in command was online. Jool's  
medical equipment was useless. The ship started to roll on its side.  
  
"Aeryn, what's happening to him?" John still didn't know how everything worked on Talyn. He  
was even more lost than usual. "I thought Talyn could fly on his own." He stumbled and hit the  
ground hard.  
  
"Talyn hasn't been alone since he was born. Parts of Crais are inside him. He doesn't know how  
to function like this. It takes time." By now, Aeryn was on the ground too. She touched her  
forehead. It was bleeding.   
  
John suddenly appeared by her side. He didn't look much better. "What do we do then? Crais is  
gone." He didn't like the look in Aeryn's eyes.  
  
"I'll have to take a transponder." Aeryn managed to stand herself up. She looked around and  
noticed that a light had come on. The hand of friendship was slipping slowly out of its hole.   
"There's no other choice."  
  
John reached out and grabbed her arm. "No Aeryn! There has to be something else we can do."   
They both turned to look at each other. Eyes said a lot more than words could. "I don't want  
you to."  
  
Aeryn's mind raced with repressed memories. They'd had this argument before. Sort of anyway.   
"Let go of me John." There was no room for interpretation on her face. Crichton obeyed.  
  
John watched her move towards the transponder in what seemed like slow motion. He could hear  
Talyn screaming above him. An increasingly loud series of beeps and hums. "Aeryn." John  
whispered her name.   
  
The ensuing events happened very quickly. With Talyn still reeling out of control, John had no  
chance to stop it. One of the control stations exploded and blew away from the wall. It slid  
forward and rammed into Aeryn's side. She practically spun in place before falling to the ground.  
  
"Aeryn!" Louder this time. John ran up and knelt beside her. The blow had knocked Aeryn  
unconscious. She was still breathing but there was no other movement. "Oh God. What am I  
supposed to-."   
  
John stopped in mid-sentence. Something sharp had just dug into the back of his neck. "Talyn!"  
  
  
  
D'Argo and Jool stopped for a moment on their way back to command. Something frelled was  
going on up there. First Talyn had gone dead, then everything had spun out of control. Now the  
leviathan hybrid was oddly still. The lights started coming back on.  
  
"Do you think they're alright?" Jool asked the question in as quiet a voice as she could muster.   
Better not to agitate an injured Luxan. It said so in Talyn's medical files.  
  
D'Argo turned to look at her. "I'll tell you in a microt." He stepped up to the doors and waited  
for them to slide open. They did so without hesitation. The Luxan heard Jool gasp behind him.   
The scene didn't look good.  
  
Both John and Aeryn were lying face up on the ground. Neither was moving at all. Bruises and  
blood stains covered their faces. Jool raced past her companion and knelt down beside Aeryn.   
The ex-peacekeeper opened her eyes immediately.   
  
"Where's John?" Aeryn forced herself up and looked over at the human. He seemed almost  
peaceful like that. Then she noticed the object in the back of his neck. It was stuck directly into  
the skin. No interface like Crais's. "Frell, what have you done?" ***  
  
He would never get used to this place. Sure, the bed was comfortable enough and the sheets  
were soft. But it would never feel like home. Moya felt like home, or a home at least. John  
rolled over and sighed deeply. The pain in his neck was still there but it was getting better. He  
resisted the urge to touch the damn thing and shooed his hand away. It was time to get up. The  
human opened his eyes.  
  
"So you're awake?" Crais looked over from the table he was sitting at and moved to stand. He  
was dressed in his old captain's uniform again. The ex-peacekeeper looked tired.   
  
John was confused. "You're dead." He shook his head. "Sorry, I'm supposed to try to be nice  
to you." He sat up in the bed. "We thought you were dead."  
  
Crais forced a smile. He nodded and walked up beside the bed. "I stole a prowler. Making it  
back here undetected took longer than I thought." The ex-peacekeeper lifted a small glass of  
green liquid and showed it to Crichton. "To dull the pain."  
  
He considered for a moment if Crais would try and kill him now. Probably not. "It's not as bad  
now. I don't need it." Honestly, he had to restrain himself from taking the glass. There was still  
enough pain to make his eyes water.  
  
"Don't be foolish Crichton. It's not poison." Bialar smiled reassuringly and passed the glass over  
to his companion. "I needed to ask you something."  
  
Reluctantly, John took the liquid and downed it in a single gulp. His mouth felt numb as the stuff  
went down. Maybe it was painkillers after all. "Thanks. What's your question?"   
  
Crais reached out with his hand and touched the back of John's neck. He could feel the black  
object from where it protruded out of the skin. It made him shiver. Having this human bonded  
with such a powerful ship. It didn't seem right. "Can you sense him yet?"  
  
"Talyn? I can't sense anything right now except for this damn thing." John pointed at the  
transponder. He wondered what it would feel like to be one with the gun ship. Crichton wasn't  
sure if he wanted to find out. "Can you pull it out?"  
  
"I'm working on it. In the meantime, someone wishes to speak with you." Crais moved his hand  
away from the transponder and touched Crichton's forehead. The human stared at him with a  
confused look in his eye. Bialar nodded. "Exactly the same."  
  
John shook his head as he watched the man leave. "What the hell got into him?" Maybe Scorpy  
did something to him. The thought of Scorpius being alive made him shudder. That couldn't  
happen. Not this time.  
  
"Can I come in?" Aeryn was standing at the door. She was leaning against the wall and looking  
directly at John. Her face appeared sad. Something that wasn't very unusual these days.  
  
"Yeah, um, sure." John felt the butterflies in his stomach. Just like every other time he'd seen  
her. It surprised him that she wasn't mad about the whole transponder deal.   
  
Aeryn walked over and sat down beside him on the bed. She looked down at her hands as she  
spoke. "I'm sorry about all this." The Sebacean finally managed to meet John's gaze. There  
were tears in her eyes.   
  
"Hey, it's not your fault." John wanted to say something to make her feel better. Unfortunately,  
nothing poetic sprung to mind. He thought back to things he had done before. John lifted his  
hand and ran it through her thick black hair. It felt soft.  
  
"You don't have to do that." Aeryn half-shivered, half-sighed at the feeling of his hand in her  
hair. So many strange emotions coming to the surface. Things she had never felt before. She  
placed her own hand against his neck and slid it around.  
  
Things were going faster than he had expected. Despite the inner part of him that wished for this  
to continue, John felt wrong about it. Flashes of what she had done kept filling his mind. "Aeryn,  
I don't think we should-."  
  
She shook her head and waited for him to be quiet. The human closed his mouth and waited.   
Aeryn leaned forward and brushed her lips against his. The two pairs just barely touching each  
other. "I do."   
  
John was confused again. He was also feeling very hot all of the sudden. He sat motionless as  
the ex-peacekeeper moved forward again and kissed him. Crichton felt her tongue move around  
in his mouth. He started to kiss back when something caught his eye. "Aeryn!"  
  
Scorpius walked into the room and made a path directly for the bed. To make matters worse, he  
was holding a knife. A nasty looking one too. The hybrid growled as his eyes met John's.   
  
Aeryn turned to face the attacker but didn't fight him. "You can't be here!"  
  
John tried to jump off the bed but he couldn't move. In front of him, Scorpius thrust his knife  
into Aeryn's chest. She screamed and then turned to dust like on of those vampires on Buffy.   
"What the hell is going on?" John shouted the question again.  
  
"From the looks of it, I'd say Talyn's reached puberty." Harvey shook his head as he looked at  
the spot where Aeryn had just been. "Already experimenting I see."  
  
A wave of nausea passed over John's face. "That was Talyn? Where the frell am I?" John was  
now able to get off the bed. He stood quickly and wiped his mouth. "Oh God."  
  
Harvey glared at the human with disgust. "We don't have time for this John." He spotted the  
questioning look on Crichton's face and nodded. "If you don't wake up soon, we're dead."  
  
  
  
"He's alive, barely." Jool pulled the human's eye open and flashed light into it. The reaction  
came slowly. She let the flap of skin drop and then stood to face the others. Aeryn in particular.  
  
"You know the most about Talyn. What did he do to John?" D'Argo's words were laced with  
accusation. He wasn't sure what had happened, but John would never take a transponder  
willingly.  
  
Aeryn knelt down beside the body and grabbed a fistful of hair. She lifted John's head up and  
checked the transponder. It made her cringe. The device was jammed straight through the skin  
and into John's neck. She tugged on it but there was no movement. "Talyn needed a captain.   
Crichton was the closest." Aeryn let go of his hair and let the head drop.  
  
John's head hit the ground with a loud smack. He didn't appear to notice though. There wasn't  
any movement on his face. Heart rate and breathing had slowed to a crawl.  
  
"Crais was never like this. Why would Talyn kill John?" Jool's voice had gone up in volume.   
She was starting to sound like D'Argo.  
  
"We don't know that! Maybe a human isn't strong enough for this." Aeryn remembered what  
Talyn had done to John before. She chose not to share that piece of information.  
  
"Don't give me that inferiority yotz again!" Jool's face twisted with anger now. "You want to be  
mad at him, go ahead! But don't try to convince me that it's anything more than your own  
emotionally stunted, peacekeeper dren." She followed that with a nod. As if daring the Sebacean  
to respond.  
  
Aeryn shook her head in mock amazement. "You, of all people, are criticizing me? Don't get me  
started-." She stopped talking and lunged forward with her fists.  
  
"Ladies!" D'Argo stepped in between the two women with an angry look on his face. "I've  
spent the last half-cycle dealing with this every day and I refuse to take it any longer." He pushed  
the two of them back. "Jool......" D'Argo couldn't think of anything reasonable to say to her.   
"Shut up." Then he turned to Aeryn. "You, just find a way to get that thing off."  
  
"What the frell do you think I've been doing?" Aeryn turned her back on the two of them and  
moved back to Crichton. She refused to let the red-haired Interon bother her. Who was that tralk  
to judge her anyway. "Frelling tralk."  
  
"What was that?" Jool waved her hand at the ex-peacekeeper and then turned back to D'Argo.   
"I'm going back to the lab. Keep your eye on her." She walked out the door mumbling  
something under her breath.  
  
D'Argo sighed and looked back at Aeryn. "Aeryn, I'm sorry. I-."  
  
  
Aeryn stood back up and faced the Luxan. There were actually tears in her eyes now. "A  
mistake, D'Argo. I made a frelling mistake. After three cycles, is it that easy to just dismiss me?"   
She forced herself back together and stood firm.   
  
"I'm not the one dismissing someone here, Aeryn. Understand that." D'Argo allowed his gaze to  
meet hers for a moment. It was impossible for him to know what was going on inside head.   
  
"Hey, what's going on?" John opened his eyes and looked around. D'Argo and Aeryn were  
standing over him with angry looks on their faces.   
  
"John! The two of them shouted his name simultaneously. Both were by his side in a second.   
  
"I had the weirdest dream." John looked over at Aeryn and it all came back to him. "I think  
Talyn pinned me."  
  
Aeryn furrowed her brow in confusion. "Can you sense him? Does it hurt?" She watched every  
movement he made for a sign. Something to say that he was alright.  
  
John closed his eyes. He saw hallways. DRD vision from a thousand different areas of the ship.   
"Man, this is intense." Staying with a single view, John followed it down a corridor and into a  
cell.   
  
"What do you see?" Aeryn leaned in closer to him and waited for a reply. She wondered how  
Talyn was doing.  
  
He recognized the cell. It was Aeryn's. There was a bed off in the far left corner. "I see  
movement." There were two people in the bed. One was Aeryn and the other was...... "Ahhh!"  
John jumped up from his place on the floor. He looked around the room and settled on Aeryn.   
"What the hell was that?"  
  
  
  
"I'm telling you D'Argo, I saw them." John walked alongside his Luxan friend as they moved  
down the corridor. Aeryn followed not far behind. He was keeping his voice low because of that  
fact.  
  
"What do you mean, them?" D'Argo had a pretty good idea but he didn't feel comfortable with  
sharing it. Better to let John do it himself.  
  
"The other me." John paused as the image replayed itself in his mind. "With Aeryn." He  
shuddered. "Talyn must have watched them every time. The pervert."  
  
Behind them, Aeryn ignored the conversation and made no attempt to catch up. There were still  
plenty of things for her to worry about. Talyn, at least, was flying normally again and had  
registered no new problems. Maybe he just needed the comfort of someone being with him. John  
certainly wasn't doing anything helpful. She thought about what he had said before everything  
went dark. 'On the jungle planet...'  
  
John was about to say something else when he felt it. This feeling that could almost be described  
as release. "Um, guys." That was all he got out before dropping to the ground.  
  
D'Argo motioned for Aeryn to come up and then knelt beside John. "John! Can you hear me?"   
He thought about calling Jool but changed his mind. The human was already starting to come  
back. "What happened?"  
  
Aeryn rushed forward but was cut short. The hallway started to shake violently. She lost her  
footing and fell down beside John. "D'Argo, wake him up!"   
  
John's eyes bulged. He wasn't asleep this time but the picture was still there. "Harvey? That you  
again?" There was no answer. "Yo Harvey, let me hear from you!"  
  
D'Argo looked over at Aeryn with a concerned look on his face. "Who is Harvey?" The noise  
started to hurt his ears. Crichton was yelling at the top of his lungs.  
  
Aeryn felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She had wished never to hear that name  
again. "He's calling to the Scorpius in his head. It's still there."  
  
"No, he's not." John opened his eyes and tried to stand. The expression on his face was one of  
worry. "Harvey's gone."  
  
  
  
Jool was still putting the medical supplies away when she heard the sound. Almost like footsteps  
hitting the ground around her. She looked but there was nobody there. "D'Argo, Aeryn? Is that  
you?" There was no answer. The Interon grabbed a syringe off the table and took a step  
forward. "Stay back. I've got a knife."  
  
"It's me Jool. Sorry to startle you." Crais stepped out from behind the door. His face was  
hidden in darkness. The ex-captain made no attempt to move. "Where are the others?  
  
She put the syringe down and shook her head. "You didn't startle me. I'm fine." Jool tried her  
best to look tough and walked towards the door. "It's just that, um, we thought you were dead."  
  
Crais lowered his head slightly. "I managed to steal a prowler from Scorpius's command carrier.   
It took some time to get back here undetected." His voice seemed a little strained. "How is  
Talyn? I don't sense him."  
  
Jool's mind raced for something to say. She suspected that Crais wouldn't be happy about what  
happened with John. "I think Aeryn's been disconnecting some things."  
  
  
"That Aeryn." Crais shook his head. "Always doing the wrong thing at the wrong time."  
  
She couldn't believe what he was saying. "I know! I was just telling D'Argo-."  
  
"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" Crais moved out of the shadows. He tried on his  
best smile.  
  
Jool felt herself blush at the words. True, she had caught the man looking at her from time to  
time. But she never suspected that he would go this far. "You haven't." She saw him motion for  
her to come forward. Jool felt the nervousness creep in to her system. She walked forward into  
the doorway.  
  
Crais waited until she stopped moving again before speaking. He looked over at the door and  
nodded. It swung shut with incredible speed and sent the Interon flying backward. She landed in  
a bloody heap across the room. "There's a reason for that." He smiled as his image morphed into  
that of Harvey's. "This is going to be fun."  
  
  
  
D'Argo was the first to react. "What do you mean he's gone?" He helped the human stand up.   
"John?" The two men exchanged looks of mutual fear. What John was saying could end up  
being very bad.  
  
"While I was asleep, Talyn took me somewhere. Probably all in my head but we spoke for a little  
bit. Then Harvey showed up and cut the connection." John shook his head angrily. "Damn it!   
That bastard better not do what I think he's gonna do."  
  
"Why the frell didn't you say this earlier?" Aeryn was much angrier than Crichton by now. Her  
eyes burned with the chance to be the accuser for once.  
  
John's knees wobbled and he slumped back down to the floor. "I didn't know Aeryn. Harvey's  
not around all the time. I just summon him when I need his help." He regretted saying the words  
right away. The look on Aeryn's face confirmed it.  
  
"Listen to yourself! This thing is a voice inside your head. It's not your guide, it's a monster.   
I'm you-." Aeryn stopped herself and took a deep breath. She'd done it again. "Frell!"   
  
John looked over at D'Argo and then back to her. "I didn't mean..." There was no point in  
answering her shouts. Aeryn had already taken off down the hall.  
  
"This isn't the time for that conversation John. We have to do something." D'Argo found  
himself filling the sensible role more and more often these days. It was an odd place to be. "Let  
her cool down."  
  
Aeryn was halfway to the next junction when the thought came to her. The idea of Scorpius  
loose inside Talyn was horrifying. But that wasn't the only thing on her mind. Even if she didn't  
want it there. If Harvey was in Talyn, they'd get rid of him somehow. There was no ambiguity  
on that one. But then what? John would be free of it. Just like the other.  
  
She stopped walking and turned around. He was still sitting there on the ground next to D'Argo.   
Part of her screamed that she should go and help Talyn. The opposition was stronger at the  
moment. "Frell it."  
  
John watched in confusion as the ex-peacekeeper turned and ran back towards him. She still  
looked angry. Actually more than before if that was possible. "Aeryn?"   
  
Aeryn knelt down so they were face to face. She raised her hand and covered his mouth. "No  
questions." Without hesitation, she leaned forward and kissed him. It felt amazing and yet  
incredibly terrifying at the same moment. Aeryn let go of him and stood up. She ran back down  
the hall and disappeared around a junction.  
  
"D'Argo, I can't feel my legs." John closed his eyes.  
  
"I know John. That's why you're on the floor." D'Argo shook his head. The same thing over  
and over.  
  
"You don't get what I'm trying to say." John saw something in the darkness behind his eyelids.   
Something in that kiss. He was in a warehouse. She was standing in front of him again. But it  
wasn't like now. They kissed. John opened his eyes.  
  
"D'Argo."  
  
"What is it John?"  
  
"Can Talyn record video of stuff that happens outside? Long range?" John stared forward  
blankly as he spoke.  
  
D'Argo looked down at his human friend with a worried expression on his face. "No ship that I  
know of can do that. But-."  
  
John interrupted him. "I didn't think so."  
  
  
  
Aeryn reached the doors to command and swiped her hand over the controls. Nothing happened.   
She gritted her teeth and did the procedure again. Still nothing. "Open the frelling door!" It was  
more of a snarl than a command. The doors slid open.  
  
Command appeared to be just as she'd left it. Everything was turned on and working fine. The  
panel that had come loose and hit her was now slowly molding back into place. Aeryn moved to  
the center of the room and placed her hand on the neural core above her head. "Whatever you  
are, answer me."  
  
It took only a moment. "Officer Sun, I had a feeling you'd be calling." His voice seemed to come  
from every corner of the room. A small compartment opened up beside Aeryn. The mini-  
transponder was inside. "It'll be easier that way."  
  
Aeryn reached for the device and plugged it into the back of her neck. It slid into the old wound  
easily. Immediately, Harvey's image appeared in front of her. "You can't be real." She forced  
her hand forward. She could feel him.  
  
"This is a spectacular vessel, Officer Sun. Scorpius was foolish to throw it away so easily."   
Harvey rubbed his hands together and smiled. It felt good to feel something. Especially not  
through John Crichton's fingers.  
  
She pulled out her pulse pistol and fired at him. The blasts cut through the image but did nothing.   
"Get out of him now! I won't say it again." Aeryn could feel her face turning red with fury.   
There was nothing she could do. Not yet.  
  
"You forget that I'm no longer subject to Crichton's disposition. Your words have no effect on  
me, Aeryn." Harvey relished the look on her face. Why not go for double points. "By the way,  
all those wonderfully nasty things you did with the other Crichton." He pointed to his head.   
"They're all in here."  
  
Aeryn felt her stomach churn. The idea of that abomination seeing her most private moments was  
revolting. If that wasn't bad enough, John must have seen them too. "Crichton."  
  
"Hey baby, what's going on?" John passed through the doors to command and entered the room.   
He saw the look on Aeryn's face and then turned to Harvey. "Oh, this isn't happening."  
  
"Aeryn! Help me!" The three of them turned towards the new voice. Crais's image was standing  
at the other side of the room. He looked like he was being tortured.  
  
"Now Talyn, I told you to stay where you were." Harvey walked over to the image and smacked  
it. "I'm the captain now."  
  
Aeryn watched Crais/Talyn dissipate and then took a step towards John. "What the frell is going  
on?" She felt him move up behind her. It was hard to be comforted by that in this situation.  
  
"If Crichton could answer that, he'd probably be insane." Harvey turned from where Crais had  
been and walked up to the two still there. "You know what, I'll make the two of you a deal." He  
pointed towards the ceiling. The auto-guns lowered. "I'll give you half an arn to get off my new  
ship." He paused for dramatic effect. "Countdown starts now." ***   
  
  
The corridor was pitch black in front of him except for a pair of bright dots off in the distance.   
D'Argo raised his Qualta blade and headed towards the light. "Who's there?" It seemed like a  
stupid question to ask. But somehow it made him feel better. He could smell nothing organic in  
the darkness ahead of him. That didn't seem to fit with the fact that he wasn't alone.  
  
A low chirping sound erupted not too far ahead of him. It echoed down the corridor and then  
faded away. D'Argo lowered his sword and modified it into a rifle. "Ha! You won't get me that  
easily." He fired a shot and the area around him lit up. "Frell."  
  
There were thousands of them. DRD's stood motionless on the floor and hung silently from the  
walls and ceiling. Their lights began flipping on as they noticed the Luxan. Short clicks came  
from every direction. Weapons arming.  
  
"Aeryn, Crichton...........Jool?" D'Argo wasn't feeling too confident about his chances just then.   
There was no answer from the comm. He took a step forward and the tiny barrels followed him.   
With the corridor now lit up, D'Argo could see a door up ahead. It was closed.  
  
D'Argo threw himself against the door with all the force he could muster. Nothing happened. He  
turned around and faced the DRD's. They remained motionless. "That's good. Don't move."   
The Luxan started to slam his fists against the door. His tiny companions looked on in silence.  
  
"Ka D'Argo? Can I help you?"   
  
The voice came from somewhere up above him. D'Argo looked up and recognized a clamshell  
attached to the ceiling. It was beginning to form an image. "Scorpius?" Things were suddenly  
much worse.  
  
"I'm afraid not. Though in your eyes I might as well be." The hybrid's image appeared on the  
screen through static. He appeared to be smiling. "My name is Harvey. I believe we've met once  
before."  
  
D'Argo blinked several times as if searching for the explanation that didn't come. He  
remembered what had happened with Crichton. "The voice in John's head? How did you-?"  
  
"Not just a voice any longer. I am in control of Talyn. As well as the army of DRD's that stand  
behind you." Every one of the little creatures's responded with chirping noises. No shots were  
fired.  
  
"Whatever the frell you are, open the door!" D'Argo was tired of playing games with a wall  
ornament. He needed to find the others.   
  
Harvey nodded obediently. "All you had to do was ask." The door slid open without a sound  
and revealed the makeshift lab that had been erected for Jool. "Watch your step."  
  
D'Argo ignored the voice and stepped inside. The clamshell outside went dark again. He turned  
and found the hall empty again. No more DRD's. "That was frelled." A low whimpering sound  
caught his attention. "Jool?"  
  
The Interon was lying face down on the ground. Her head rested ever so slightly against one of  
the medicine carts. Jool opened her eyes slowly and looked up. Through the redness, she saw  
D'Argo's face. Sweet, chivalrous D'Argo. "Hi."  
  
The Luxan knelt down and felt something wet against his boot. D'Argo touched the ground with  
his finger and raised it up again. The finger was covered in blood. "Oh no."  
  
  
  
"Do I have to repeat myself?" Harvey enjoyed the angry look that was spreading across Officer  
Sun's face. At first it appeared to be simple rage. Now he was the true pain in her eyes. It felt  
surprisingly good. They would both get what they deserved.  
  
Aeryn ripped her pulse pistol from its holster and took a step forward. "You are going to die. I  
promise you that." She felt a hand take hold of her from behind. It was strong but not nearly  
strong enough. "Let go of me John."  
  
Crichton fought to keep hold of her but it was impossible. He would have to reach her with  
common sense. "We're dead."  
  
She turned abruptly and faced him. "Frell that! We can't let him take Talyn!" Despite Aeryn's  
resolve, the look in her eyes was of a person pleading. Asking John to stop this somehow.  
  
"Harvey's won this round. John grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled the ex-peacekeeper  
close. He whispered into her ear. "Go now, kill the bastard later." The human hoped she got the  
message.  
  
Harvey watched all this unfold with a strange sense of detachment. In his eyes these two were  
already dead. The creature wondered how big the explosion would be when Talyn fired his  
cannon. Probably not that big. "The clock is running children."  
  
Aeryn and John both turned to glare at him. They didn't seem to get the joke.  
  
"Aeryn, let's go." John tugged on her arm and started for the door. He felt her resist for a  
moment and then give in. There was nothing they could do.  
  
She made a move towards Crichton and then swivelled back around. Aeryn launched her fist  
forward and connected squarely with Harvey's jaw. Caught off guard, the neural clone fell  
backwards and hit the ground. "I'm coming back for you."   
  
Harvey watched them leave the room and groaned. Being able to feel had its drawbacks. "We'll  
see."  
  
  
  
  
"I don't know how to do this." D'Argo grumbled the words under his breath as he worked. It  
had never occurred to him, not even with Zhaan, that this stuff was so hard. The jumble of tubes  
fell apart in his hands. "Jool, help me."  
  
She turned her head slightly and nodded. Getting up on the operating table had been hard  
enough. Every inch of Jool's body screamed with each movement. "Think about what you just  
said D'Argo. Then frell off!" She started to cough.  
  
"Point taken." The Luxan picked up the mess of tubes and walked over to her. "I plug this in  
here." D'Argo stuck one end of the line into a small black box behind Jool's head. The other he  
put in her mouth. "You'll have to swallow."  
  
Jool tried to smile but the corners of her mouth hurt too much. "No problem." She cringed as  
her lips parted. The tube went down slightly.   
  
D'Argo closed his eyes and shoved it down the rest of the way. He watched her eyes close. "I'm  
sorry I wasn't here." She didn't respond.  
  
"D'Argo!" John came running into the room with his pulse pistol in hand. There had been lot's  
of DRD's on the way down. He looked around and spotted the pool of blood on the floor.   
"What the hell happened here?"  
  
Aeryn walked in behind the human but stopped short when she saw what he was looking at. "He  
did this." Her anger increased another notch at that moment. The ex-peacekeeper passed John  
and moved to the table. "Is she?"  
  
Shaking his head slowly, D'Argo pointed at the respirator. "Not yet. But we have to get her out  
of here. I don't how any of this dren works."  
  
John sighed. As if all the guilt he felt wasn't bad enough. "She would have been better off if we  
just left her where we found her." The others looked up at him but said nothing.   
  
"May I offer a more effective solution? And perhaps some advice."   
  
Aeryn, D'Argo, and John each raised their respective weapon. The clamshell against the wall had  
come to life. Harvey was broadcasting again. "You now have only a quarter of an arn left.   
Don't waste it with her."  
  
Before anyone could move, a high-pitched noise erupted from the respirator. D'Argo raced  
towards the box but it was too late. Power to the device had been cut. "No! I'll kill him!" He  
felt tears in his eyes.  
  
John stepped closer to Aeryn. "Tell me that doesn't-."  
  
Aeryn nodded. "She's gone."  
  
Jool's shoulders slumped against the table. Her eyes, already closed, seemed to relax. There was  
no air coming from the machine. No air coming from Jool.  
  
  
  
The transport pod made its way out of Talyn's hangar without incident. Aeryn sat rigidly at the  
controls. One of her hands leaned lifelessly against the console. The other hung at her side. They  
both felt cold. She tried not to think of the person they had just left behind. Tried not to think of  
all the horrible things she had said. "John?"  
  
He sat on the ground next to her. The other seat at the controls was empty. John didn't feel  
much like checking out the view. He thought of Zhaan. "What?" The word came out harsher  
than he had intended.  
  
Aeryn turned and looked at D'Argo. The Luxan was sitting alone in the back of the pod. His  
back to them. "I didn't know her-."  
  
One of the lights on the console lit up and stopped her from speaking. That was followed  
immediately by an alarm. The shrill sound only reminded her of what had just happened. Aeryn  
wasn't thinking clearly.  
  
"Aeryn, watch out!" John jumped up and reached for the navigation controls. The ex-  
peacekeeper beat him to it.  
  
The transport pod swerved to the side and just barely missed its counterpart. Another pod had  
just appeared out of nowhere. It seemed to be on a reserve trajectory to theirs. Heading towards  
Talyn.  
  
"That's one of Talyn's pods." Aeryn regained her composure and started punching madly on the  
controls. "It has to be Stark."  
  
John looked at her and then at the approaching ship. "Stark? Frell, I left his mask on the ship."  
  
Aeryn shrugged. "That's the least of our problems."  
  
  
  
The pods flew side by side to each other and began to dock. Below them, Talyn still floated  
motionless in space. Maybe Harvey was having a harder time than he thought.   
  
Aeryn walked up to the pressure door and raised her pistol. There had been no answer when she  
tried to hail the Bannik. Perhaps it wasn't him after all. "Stay back until I've cleared the area."   
She knocked. The sound of a wheel turning on the other side reached them.  
  
Standing behind the console with his own gun drawn, John waited for her to move. He didn't like  
being second in but there was no arguing with Aeryn. That was one debate he would never win.   
"I've got your back."  
  
She turned around as he spoke. "What did you say?"  
  
"Me? Nothing." John shrugged and motioned towards the door. It was opening.  
  
A volley of steam erupted from the door's edges as it slid open. Through the mist, a solitary  
figure emerged. Orange light emanated from where his face should have been. It was definitely  
Stark. "Aeryn, is that you?"  
  
Stark covered his face instinctively as he came forward. Thankfully, seeing the ex-peacekeeper  
didn't affect him as much this time. Zhaan's calming words floated through his head. "I tried  
hailing Talyn but there was no answer."  
  
Aeryn nodded curtly. "The Neural Clone has taken control of Talyn. We've been forced to  
leave." She tried to ignore the look Stark was giving her. Then again, it wasn't quite the same  
one she was used to. "What?"  
  
"It's just, well, um, him." Stark raised a hand and pointed towards Crichton. "I wasn't sure if  
you'd find Moya by the time I got back."  
  
John stood from his position and tried his best smile. It fell flat. "Hey Stark." He couldn't think  
of anything else to say.  
  
"Did you find her?" Everyone was startled by the hoarse voice. D'Argo came up beside  
Crichton. He didn't look much better. "Did you find Zhaan?"  
  
Stark bit his lower lip. It looked like was trying to decide whether or not to tell them. "I found  
her. Though not quite as you remember her." He forgot himself and dropped his hand. Orange  
light filled the room.  
  
"You might want to cover that up." Aeryn pointed towards his face. "I thought it wasn't good  
for you." Just as she spoke the words, a horrible shout came from behind.  
  
Stark was already past her and headed for Crichton. He seemed to know what was going on.  
  
John hadn't felt any physical pain since Harvey took over the leviathan hybrid. His transponder  
had gone dead. This new pain was much worse though. It felt like his brain was melting inside  
the skull. "Stark, what the hell did you do to me?" He fell to the ground.  
  
The Bannik knelt down beside him. Stark's face was grave when he looked back up at Aeryn.   
"By Creznaas!" He covered his face up again. "I didn't realize."  
  
Aeryn and D'Argo were beside him in less than a microt. The ex-peacekeeper spoke first.   
"Didn't realize what?" She was shouting by now. "What did you do to him!?" Aeryn grabbed  
Stark's collar and lifted him up. "Stark!"  
  
He didn't struggle or try to fight her off. Stark just went limp. "I sent the mask to Crichton. Had  
to deliver the message!"  
  
On the ground, John moaned once more and was quiet. D'Argo picked him up and checked the  
human's pulse. "Not you too Crichton!" He growled angrily and aimed his eyes at Stark. "What  
else did you do to him?"  
  
Stark felt both their eyes burning into him. He never thought it would work. Was never sure of  
what would set it off. "When the other Crichton joined with me, he gave me the message." His  
voice grew squeakier. "But I held on too long. I took more."  
  
Aeryn's eyes widened. Suddenly things previously unexplained to her made sense. "You bastard!   
You had no right." She felt herself weaken slightly. Everything was flooding back.  
  
D'Argo stared at the two of them with confusion etched on his face. "Can someone please  
explain what the frell is going on?"  
  
Stark nodded. "I took his thoughts, memories. I thought that Crichton, I thought." He felt  
Aeryn's grip loosen. The Bannik hit the ground hard. "I, I merged them."  
  
Aeryn let her gaze fall upon the human at her feet. His face was expressionless. But there was  
still life inside him somewhere. "What do we do?"  
  
Stark frowned. They weren't going to like what he had to say. "You must get him back to  
Talyn."  
  
  
  
Harvey noticed the blinking comms light and nodded towards them. He had seen the two vessels  
outside meet up. What could be going on out there? "This is Captain Harvey, how may I be of  
assistance?"  
  
D'Argo appeared on the forward portal. He looked angry. Perhaps even violently so. "Scorpius,  
Harvey, whatever you are. You have a problem."  
  
It was at that moment that Harvey noticed the small device that sat in the Luxan's grip. He had  
seen something like it before. Here on Talyn. "And what is that?"  
  
"You've got a transponder, use it." D'Argo grinned as he pressed the button. So far the plan  
was working just as Aeryn said it would. He cut the transmission and turned around. The  
Sebacean nodded.   
  
Harvey stared at the empty screen and frowned. "I don't like riddles." He closed his eyes and  
searched the ship for any anomalous activity. Before he got to the hangar, the alarm had already  
started going off in his head.  
  
The Luxan vessel still sat right where Aeryn had parked it quite some time ago. Alongside it,  
John's module was now bathed in glimmering green light. A rough male voice was repeating his  
message over and over. Its countdown had begun.  
  
"Ka D'Argo! Power down your ship or I will fire on you." Harvey was panicked. He knew that  
they wouldn't kill Talyn. Not if they didn't have to. But things weren't as simple as they had  
been a few arns ago.  
  
The forward portal came back to life. "Fire on us and you're next." This time Aeryn stood in  
front of him. Her steely resolve showed through despite her surroundings. Behind her, Stark  
nodded encouragingly.   
  
"What the frell do you want?" The answer was obvious but he felt obligated to ask. Harvey was  
still privy to all those frelling movie cliches.   
  
Aeryn stared him down. "We'll be boarding Talyn in a few microts. Don't try to stop us."   
  
  
  
The hangar doors slammed shut behind them as the transport pod landed. Aboard, D'Argo and  
Aeryn were checking weapons while Stark watched over John. They had a chance now. A very  
slim chance.  
  
D'Argo let the door slide open and then stepped down into the hangar. He swung his sword  
around, keeping an eye out for DRD's. His companion was still inside. "Aeryn! We have to  
hurry."   
  
She watched the two of them from the doorway. Aeryn didn't want to leave John like this. What  
happened when he woke up? If he woke up. "Coming D'Argo." The ex-peacekeeper charged  
her pulse pistol and headed out the door.  
  
Stark watched the two warriors as they disappeared down the corridor. This plan of there's was  
seriously frelled. He wondered what exactly he had come back to. The Bannik didn't want to die  
on Talyn. Not after what Zhaan told him.  
  
John stirred slightly but didn't wake up. His mind was off somewhere and Stark couldn't follow.   
  
"Don't worry Crichton. They'll be alright."  
  
  
  
Aeryn caught up with D'Argo as he passed through the maintenance bay exit. The Luxan  
searched the darkness in front of him. "Do you see anything?"  
  
D'Argo nodded but said nothing. He motioned for her to follow. Stepping into the new corridor,  
he heard the chirping sound again. It was impossible to tell how many of the little creatures were  
ahead of them. Knowing Talyn, their weapons would probably leave a mark.  
  
"D'Argo, I can't coordinate with you if I can't see!" Aeryn pushed up against him and aimed her  
pulse pistol into the black. She could hear him breathing along with the low mechanical noises.   
  
"When I give the word, run." D'Argo put his hand on her shoulder and then took another step  
forward. His foot touched something round. It started whirring crazily. Soon they were all  
doing it. "Now!"  
  
The two warriors took off down the hallway as fast as they could. Gunfire erupted from every  
direction and lit up the shadows. Tiny rays of white light flew through the air. It was like a  
storm.  
  
"I'm hit!" D'Argo felt the stings in his back but kept running. He must have been bleeding from  
ten different wounds but it didn't matter. They had to get to command.  
  
Aeryn smelled burning hair. She reached up with her hand and came back with a clump of it.   
"Just keep going!" Up ahead she spotted a door on the left. "Another half-metra!"  
  
The door slid open without delay. D'Argo toppled inside and hit the ground hard. The pack he  
was carrying fell alongside him. "Aeryn." Her boot came down right beside his face. The soldier  
was in the moment.  
  
"Give me one of the grenades." Aeryn saw that he was hurt and went for the bombs herself.   
Pulling one out of the bag, she sent it flying into the corridor. A mass exodus began too late. The  
explosion rocked the walls and knocked her down beside D'Argo.  
  
  
  
Harvey both saw and sensed the explosion. He felt the little creature's pain. "What the frell are  
you doing down there?" The Neural Clone was too distracted to hear the doors open behind him.  
  
"Scorpius! Leave Talyn now!" Stark, in his most authoritative voice, raised a pulse pistol and  
aimed it at the creature in front of him.  
  
"Why does everyone keep calling me that?" Harvey turned and glared at the Bannik. "You  
shouldn't be here." The auto-guns slid down from the ceiling.   
  
Stark stood his ground despite the slight tremble that had begun in his feet. "You're not afraid  
are you?" He stole a glance behind him. Crichton was lying just outside the doors. Dragging the  
human all the way there had been difficult enough without the DRD's following. That could only  
mean one thing.   
  
"Afraid? No. Actually, I was expecting some of you to show up sooner or later. By the way,  
congratulations on avoiding detection." Harvey cursed himself for not checking the inner access  
shafts. The Bannik was definitely familiar with Talyn's structure.  
  
"Talyn! Can you hear me?" Stark ignored the creature's boasts and listened for some sign from  
Talyn. Much to his surprise, an image of Crais appeared beside Harvey.  
  
"Stark? Help me! I can't fight him." Talyn's visual struggled to remain visible but Harvey was  
already beating him back. He looked to the new arrival for help. Stark had been one with him  
once after all.  
  
"I will help you Talyn." Stark removed the cloth he had put over his face and let the light shine  
out. It touched every area of the room and plunged it into darkness. "Take my strength."  
  
  
  
Aeryn pounded down again on the Luxan's back. She lifted her hand and saw clear blood. "We  
do this much too often."   
  
D'Argo snorted out a reply but it didn't make any sense. His companion wasn't listening anyway.  
  
The noise from outside had dissipated a few moments ago. Something new was coming down the  
corridor. Aeryn struggled to listen. It sounded like footsteps. "Who's there?" She raised her  
pulse pistol and shoved it towards the door. A face appeared.  
  
"Aeryn? What the frell is going on? I cannot sense Talyn." Crais, the real one this time, stood  
haggardly in the doorway. There was blood on his face and his hair had been tousled. But it was  
still the same man.  
  
She forced herself up and looked him over. "We thought you were dead." Aeryn felt relief settle  
over her. Maybe he would know what to do. "Talyn's been taken over by John's neural clone."  
  
Crais raised a hand to silence her. It took him a microt to digest what she had just said.   
Obviously, it fit what he felt in the transponder. But the idea was still beyond anything he would  
have guessed. "What exactly were you trying to do?"  
  
Aeryn shrugged. "Storm command and force him out."  
  
The ex-captain smiled at the simplicity of her plan. "I have a better idea." He motioned for her  
to follow him out the door.  
  
Aeryn didn't budge. She pointed at the black satchel Crais held in his right hand. It looked  
familiar. "What's that?"  
  
Crais shook his head. "Later."   
  
  
  
Harvey felt the gun ship start to fight back inside of him. He roared like his real-life counterpart  
was known for. "Talyn! You can't win this. I'm stronger."  
  
Control panels around the room began to explode. The two opposing powers were shorting each  
other out. Pretty soon the only light in the room came from Stark's face.   
  
"I can't keep this going much longer!" Stark fell to his knees in agony. His face was burning  
with the excess of energy. Suddenly he felt strong hands take hold of him.  
  
Harvey grabbed the Bannik and threw him backwards. Apparently everyone on this frelling ship  
had been bonded with Talyn at one point or another.   
  
Stark picked himself up and sneered at the monstrosity. "Maybe I can't stop you, but Zhaan  
can!" His face's orange glow turned blue. The light burst out again and covered Harvey.   
Everything went dark.  
  
"Stark, what the frell did you do?" Harvey looked down at himself as the blue light hit and passed  
through him. He couldn't feel anymore.   
  
The forward portal came to life on its own. Both Stark and Harvey turned to face it. Crais and  
Aeryn appeared on the monitor. The ex-captain was standing in the empty pilot's den.  
  
"Neural clone, you must recognize by now what this is." Crais smiled knowingly at the  
apparition. If anyone onboard knew what to do in this situation, it was him.   
  
Harvey stared at the control panel in front of Crais. It wasn't possible. "You can't do this. I'm  
Talyn's captain."   
  
"Not anymore." Crais reached forward and inputted a series of commands. The forward portal  
went black.  
  
  
  
John opened his eyes slowly but had to close them quickly. A bright blue light was shining above  
his head with great intensity. He thought he saw someone through it. Someone he hadn't seen in  
a long time. "Zhaan?"  
  
Stark covered his face up again and moved away from the human. Better to leave now. "She has  
something for you Crichton." The Bannik turned and walked out the doors. They slammed shut  
behind him.  
  
"Oh man, that was intense." John sat up and looked around. Whatever had just been there was  
long gone. Now all he saw was Talyn's command. "How the hell did I get here?"  
  
A voice came out from the darkness. It was weak and barely reached John's ears. "Hello John.   
I'm actually glad I got to see you one last time." Harvey crawled out from behind a fallen console  
and sat beside the human.  
  
"What happened to you Harv? You look like dren." John smiled at the idea that the Scorpy in his  
mind was hurt. "Talyn work you over or something?"  
  
The Neural clone tried to grab John but its hand passed through the human. "I'm dying John.   
Your face will be the last thing I ever see."  
  
The words were almost comforting. John closed his eyes and saw the blue light again. It wasn't  
going away. "You're death scene better be good. Cause that little hesitation thing the other you  
did with Aeryn really blew."  
  
Harvey shook his head. He was beginning to fade. "I'm going to miss all this John. As much as I  
hate you, I'm going to miss this."  
  
John smiled. "Go to hell Harvey." As he spoke the words, the last image of Scorpius  
disappeared completely. Nothing left but a question floating in the air.  
  
"What do you see John?   
  
The human closed his eyes again and relaxed. "I see wormholes." ***  
  
She opened her eyes and looked around. The room was dark except for the starlight that filtered  
in through Talyn's portals. Aeryn reached up to her forehead and felt warmth. There was blood.   
She stood up slowly and wiped the debris off of her clothes. "Crais, why aren't the lights back  
on?"   
  
There was movement off to the right. The ex-captain tossed some wires off of himself and lifted  
himself off the ground. He too was slightly injured. "Talyn has not been the dominant force on  
this ship for some time. He has to replenish his energy." Crais walked over to his companion and  
attempted a weak smile.   
  
"But he will be alright?" Aeryn looked at the devastation around her and frowned. The once  
proud gun ship was tattered and worn. She hated to see Talyn like this.  
  
"The longer he's out, the less his chances of full recovery." Crais moved over to the console and  
began running through the system logs. "I believe he will wake up soon." He stopped for a  
moment and went back to grab the black satchel he had been carrying.  
  
Aeryn spotted it and remembered their earlier conversation. "Crais, it's later." She pointed  
towards the bag. "What is it?"  
  
Bialar hefted the satchel up onto the console and unzipped it. His hand began to tremble slightly  
as he removed the contents. This meant something. His life's vector was about to change for a  
third time. "Something you'll need."  
  
Their eyes met for a moment but neither said a word. Aeryn's hand went involuntarily to the back  
of her neck. She had hoped many times to take on the transponder. To be one with Talyn. It  
didn't feel the same anymore.   
  
Crais broke the silence as he removed a small box from the satchel. He raised it so Aeryn could  
see and then placed it on the console. "Until the day I met you and Crichton, this was my life."   
Carefully, he snapped open the lid.  
  
Aeryn took a step forward and looked into the box. A set of small black disks sat in a row.   
There was no tag or id form to suggest what they were. "Are you being vague on purpose?"  
  
He smiled and shook his head. "The entire hybrid project is on those disks. All research,  
conclusions, even surveillance video." Crais watched the change in Aeryn's face. "You are in  
there as well."  
  
She gritted her teeth and forced her eyes back up towards his. "This is what you went back for  
on the command carrier. Why give it to me?" There seemed to be an obvious answer to that  
question. Aeryn waited anyway.  
  
"I've come to see things more clearly in the past cycle. Talyn cannot have me as his captain for  
much longer. He needs someone worthy of the job." Crais's eyes never left Aeryn's. He was  
suddenly aware that he was afraid.   
  
Aeryn sighed. "I know that I was the one who asked to join with Talyn. But Crais, I can-." She  
was surprised to see him shake his head.  
  
"I was not suggesting you take my place Aeryn. Talyn cares deeply for you but I do not believe  
you are right for him." Crais took a step back in case she didn't take the statement well. He had  
a feeling that she would. Aeryn Sun didn't belong on this ship.  
  
"Who then?" Aeryn picked up the box of disks and flipped through them. Her mind searched for  
some sense to all of this. She didn't find any.  
  
Crais reached forward and tapped the box with his gloved hand. "Read the files." He turned  
back to the console and removed a small device from the slot where it had been. "There's  
something else."  
  
Aeryn almost laughed. "What could you possibly follow this up with?" She regretted saying it  
the moment it left her mouth. There was always something worse around the corner.  
  
"It would have been impossible to remove Crichton's neural clone." Crais showed her the small  
device and then put it in her hand. "Without this."  
  
It felt heavier than it looked. Aeryn slid her finger over its smooth surface. This, she did not  
recognize. "Go on."  
  
"High Command was less than confident about the project. They feared that a leviathan gun ship  
would not obey its keepers. To comply with their concerns, I had a fail-safe built into Talyn's  
neural network." Crais paused for a moment. "Upon implementation, it would wipe out the  
ship's consciousness."  
  
Aeryn felt something bad coming. "John's clone was dominant. It was wiped out instead?"  
  
Crais nodded. He was always impressed at how quick her mind was. "Correct. But there's a  
problem. I had two of these devices made. I found only one."  
  
  
  
"Prowler pilot. Identify yourself immediately or be destroyed." The Vigilante turned from its  
present vector and aimed its main weapon at the approaching craft. One the bridge, Captain  
Revka hovered over the firing mechanism and waited for a reply. "I say again-."  
  
The screen in front of him flickered on and a weary-looking pilot appeared. Braca was oozing  
blood from a wound above his right eye. He didn't look particularly happy to be alive. "Captain,  
open your hangar doors and allow me to land." There was an air of authority in his voice.  
  
Revka hesitated but did nothing. "I will do no such thing until you identify yourself." The captain  
wouldn't even consider the order without proper identification. It said so in the manual.  
  
"Perhaps you will recognize me." A second passenger aboard the prowler came into view. His  
face, horrendously ugly. The strange leather outfit he wore appeared to be melted.  
  
"Scorpius?" Revka had heard of the man, if you could call him that, but never seen him with his  
own eyes. The actual experience was not one he would treasure. "Of course sir. Opening doors  
now."  
  
The Vigilante's massive hangar doors slid open at a crawl and welcomed the small prowler. It  
swung around and entered swiftly. Braca guided the vessel in with as much care as he could  
manage. Flying prowlers hadn't been his highest marking.  
  
Once it was on the ground, the side hatch opened. Scorpius forced himself up and dropped to the  
familiar metal floor. He felt comforted by the low hum of machinery. "Captain, how prepared is  
your ship for combat?"  
  
Revka took a moment before his eyes could leave the hybrid. It was like watching public torture.   
Grotesque but you couldn't look away. "Our immobilizer cannon is offline sir. But all other  
defenses are at optimum condition.  
  
Braca stepped down behind his master and sighed. This wouldn't do at all. "Have you detected  
any other ships in the area?"  
  
Scorpius turned and nodded approvingly. His lieutenant wasn't going to make the same mistake  
twice.   
  
"Yes sir." Revka saw their anxious reaction to the information and swallowed involuntarily.   
"Sensors detected a leviathan not half an arn ago. It was strange really."  
  
Scorpius' eyes went wide. "How so?"  
  
The captain flinched but held his ground. It wouldn't do to appear weak in front of such a high  
ranking official. "It had weapons sir."  
  
The hybrid turned around again and started to climb back into the prowler. "Braca, get us out of  
here."  
  
Braca nodded and climbed into the pilot's seat. He looked back one last time at the confused  
captain. "Good luck."  
  
Revka watched the prowler rise and fly out of the hangar doors in an odd sense of detachment.   
He wasn't sure what had just happened but he suddenly felt worried. "Everyone back to your  
posts. I want to know the microt something comes within range."  
  
  
Not a quarter of an arn after the prowler left, something big appeared on the Vigilante's sensor  
screens. Almost as if it had come out of nowhere. The Scarren Defiler flew up behind the  
peacekeeper ship and began firing. A return shot was never fired.  
  
  
  
D'Argo stumbled into the lab and searched for what he was looking for. An operating table sat  
empty off to the right of him. He tried not to think of who had been lying there a few arns ago.   
Tried not to look at the box that sat next to the table.   
  
"D'Argo, is that you?" Stark stepped out of the darkness. He had recovered his mask and was  
wearing it again. Still, the Bannik looked like dren.  
  
He dropped down on the table and nodded his head. "It's me Stark." D'Argo started coughing  
loudly. At least the blood was running clear. Today was not his day to die. Well, not yet  
anyway.  
  
"You didn't tell me about her." Stark pointed towards the coffin. His hands shook slightly in the  
air. He could still sense the aura of death in the room. It was of the violent kind.   
  
"Jool's dead Stark." The Luxan closed his eyes and remembered her face. Remembered what she  
had said to him. "She liked me."  
  
Stark looked up and smiled unevenly. "I thought she was annoying."  
  
D'Argo growled. "You're annoying."  
  
Nodding, the ex-slave stood up and walked over to the coffin. Using all his strength, he pried  
open the lid. Jool lay there peacefully. Her face looked almost tolerable like this. Stark reached  
up and pulled his mask off.  
  
"What the frell are you doing?" D'Argo tried to lift himself up but the pain was too great. He  
watched in fascination as the Bannik did his work.  
  
"Making sure she made it through alright." Orange light escaped from Stark's face. Small hints  
of blue filtered out as well. He smiled. "Thank you."   
  
  
  
The doors to command opened about halfway and then came to a halt. Aeryn passed her hand  
over the controls again but nothing happened. Not even that maddening beep sound. She  
stepped forward and pushed herself through the small opening. The ex-peacekeeper tried not to  
think about getting out again.  
  
Her entry was met with a volley of sparks from one of the conduits on the ceiling. The brief flash  
of light illuminated all the chaos that Harvey had left behind. Blown consoles, ripped wires, John  
lying on the floor. "John?"  
  
At first the human didn't move. Then slowly but surely his head began to shake. "Hey baby, you  
alright?"  
  
Aeryn dropped down next to him. "Am I alright? Frell you." She reached out and lifted his  
head. There were no open wounds. He simply smiled back at her. "Can you move?"  
  
John nodded slightly and then pushed himself upwards. He wobbled a little but managed to stay  
standing. "I'm fine."  
  
She was suddenly aware of her hand still on him. Aeryn retracted it quickly and took a step back.   
"That's good. I'm glad." Their eyes met for a microt. She didn't like the look in his eyes.  
  
John stared at her. The edges of his mouth crept ever so slowly up in a smile. As if he was  
content enough to watch her wallow in questions. He extended his hand and clasped it around  
hers. "I suddenly remember kissing you. A lot."  
  
Aeryn felt like she'd just swallowed her tongue. The frelling Bannik had done it. She wasn't sure  
how this made her feel. How was she supposed to respond to that? "There was kissing."  
  
He stepped forward, noticing that Aeryn did not back away. John closed his eyes for a moment.   
It was strange really. Remembering two similar but still distinct lives running parallel to each  
other. It wasn't that bad. "I remember making love to you."  
  
She tried to focus. Tried to remember what Crais had warned her about. They shouldn't be  
doing this now. There were important things to take care of. "That......happened."  
  
They were mere inches away now. John raised his other hand and sifted it through her hair. Both  
sides of him remembered that. "Aeryn, you said you'd come with me." He noticed immediately  
the look on Aeryn's face. Suddenly there was an intruding thought in his mind. John hadn't put it  
there.  
  
Aeryn saw his attention go from her to something else. Strangely, that annoyed her. "John, what  
is it?"   
  
He stepped past her and ran to the nearest working console. "I don't know. I was here with you  
for a second and then bam! I saw something." He started typing in commands which where met  
with beeps of acknowledgment. Odd because he'd never touched this console before.  
  
An image appeared on the screen in front of them. At first it was just stars but then something  
came into focus. Aeryn recognized it immediately. "A prowler?"  
  
John nodded. "What do you want to bet that Scorpy made it off the command carrier?" He  
turned around and saw the horrified look on his companion's face. The human stopped working  
and walked back over to her. "Listen to me Aeryn. I remember everything."  
  
That was it. Aeryn felt her hands shaking now. She forced herself to meet his probing glare.   
"Define everything." The ex-peacekeeper didn't need him to answer that. Aeryn watched him  
nod with that faraway look in his eyes. She knew that look. "I keep my promises John."  
  
The look on John Crichton's face was that of a little boy with his first bike. Or maybe after his  
first roll in the hay. "We're getting out of this. Then I'm gonna hold you to that"  
  
  
  
Crais pushed the door open and looked inside. The room was dark like every other one he had  
checked so far. But something was glowing off in the corner. He took a step forward and drew  
his pulse pistol. It made sense to be cautious now.  
  
"Who's there?" The voice was unmistakable. D'Argo walked out of the darkness with his Qualta  
blade held out in front of him. The sword's tip touched Crais's coat.   
  
He lowered his gun and waited for the Luxan to do the same. No such luck. "It's me D'Argo.   
No need to worry." Crais hoped that was worth something.  
  
D'Argo grumbled something under his breath before answering. "We though you were dead."   
He turned and pointed to Stark.   
  
The Bannik looked up and narrowed his eye at the former peacekeeper. "It's a shame he's not."  
  
Crais ignored the comment and walked further into the room. He noticed the coffin for the first  
time. "Who's is that?"   
  
D'Argo cut in before the ex-slave could retort with some appropriately odd response. He stepped  
in between the two. "Jool was killed. We weren't able to bring her back." D'Argo watched the  
man carefully for a response.  
  
"I'm sorry." Crais walked past him and looked down at the Interon. Her frizzy red hair was  
stained with blood and knotted wildly. The peacefulness of death hid a strength he had learned of  
firsthand. " The neur-."  
  
Stark and D'Argo watched in amazement as the ex-captain stopped in mid-sentence and fell to the  
ground. His eyes closed and he seemed to convulse. "Crais!" D'Argo was the first to speak.  
  
Bialar opened his eyes slowly and looked up. The other two were standing above him with  
questioning stares. He sat himself up. "It's Talyn. He's frightened." Crais reached to the back  
of his neck and twisted the transponder. He had to warn Crichton."  
  
  
  
John felt the exploding thought in his mind and pulled himself away from Aeryn's lips. He  
ignored the angry look she gave him and tapped the transponder in the back of his neck. "Crais?   
What the hell was that?"  
  
Crais's voice sounded in his head and then was suddenly on speaker. Talyn was adapting to the  
situation as best he could. Most systems still weren't working. "The prowler is here."  
  
Aeryn suddenly realized what was going on and rushed to the forward portal. "I see it!" She  
watched the black vessel shoot through the space in front of them. It was heading directly for the  
leviathan hybrid.  
  
"The main cannon's not working yet. What the frell am I supposed to do?" John closed his eyes  
and saw Talyn's systems. He wondered how Crais and Aeryn had done this so easily. Everything  
looked fried.  
  
The doors to command opened and Crais came running in. It was his best time to date. "Don't  
touch anything. I'll deal with this." He ran up to the console and looked it over. His face took  
on a look of exasperation. "It's not working.  
  
John shook his head. "I just said that."  
  
Aeryn cut him off before they could go into it further. "The prowler is hailing us." Using  
whatever natural ingenuity she had, the ex-peacekeeper managed to navigate the comm console in  
front of her. The thing sparked and then began to work.  
  
The image on the forward portal disappeared and was replaced by something infinitely worse.   
Scorpius appeared on the screen in all his monstrous glory. His mask was shredded but the look  
was unmistakable. "Have I caught you at a bad time?"  
  
The three of them were already seething with anger. John was the first to open his mouth. Not  
surprisingly. "Sorry Scorpy. Our gun's a little bigger than yours this time."  
  
The hybrid seemed to consider this a moment before answering. That trademark look of  
superiority never left his face. "Are you sure John? Hasn't Captain Crais told you yet?"  
  
Aeryn heard the exchange and then turned to Crais. Their eyes met briefly. It was all that was  
necessary. John watched the them and was suddenly nervous. "You're kidding me right?"  
  
Scorpius raised his hand and dangled something for them to see. A small black device hung from  
the short chain in his hand. "Allow my lieutenant and I to board or I will incapacitate your ship."   
  
Crais put a hand on John's shoulder. The human shook it off. "We will comply Scorpius.   
Opening the hangar doors now."  
  
  
John turned to look at Crais. The expression on his face, one of disbelief. "I'm missing  
something here."  
  
Aeryn spoke up. "John, listen to him. There's no other choice."  
  
  
  
The doors to command opened again and Talyn's auto-guns moved to target. Unfortunately, they  
were only for show. All the leviathan hybrid could do was point them. There wasn't enough  
energy to fire with. Scorpius and Braca looked up at the devices but appeared unfazed by them.  
  
The real threat came from the three outlaws in front of them. John, Aeryn, and Crais stood with  
pulse pistols aimed. Their faces betrayed no sign of weakness.  
  
"Before you kill us, may I make an observation?" Scorpius walked up until the guns were mere  
inches from his chest. He didn't particularly care at the moment.  
  
John, the ringleader as always, answered. "Hand over the button. Then we'll talk." His eyes  
narrowed. Trying to keep his finger from pulling back was a big effort.  
  
"I'm afraid that's out of the question. Though I will promise not to use it." He smiled wickedly  
and stuck the device back inside his uniform. "As we speak, a squadron of Scarren attack vessels  
are closing in on this position."  
  
A quick nod between the three and the agreement was reached. Aeryn lowered her gun and  
turned around. She punched in the commands and a display came up. Her mouth dropped open.   
"Frell, Defilers?"  
  
The hybrid nodded. "You must starburst now."  
  
Crais took his turn. "Starburst is not available. Talyn doesn't have enough power."  
  
Scorpius and Braca exchanged worried looks at the news. Visions of fiery explosions danced in  
their heads. "Then we have a problem." The hybrid seemed to consider the situation a moment  
before considering. He looked up at Crichton. "You know what we have to do."  
  
John looked his enemy right in the eye and then shook his head. "No! There's no way I'm doing  
that." He raised his gun a little higher. Maybe he could get a shot in before the bastard pressed  
the button.  
  
"What are we talking about?" Aeryn came up beside John and gave him a questioning look. She  
didn't like the answers in his eyes. There was something familiar behind them.  
  
John saw the visions again. He didn't need to close his eyes. "He's talking about wormholes  
baby." ***  
  
The module sat quietly in the middle of the maintenance bay with its hatch off. It had been moved  
once the plan was finalized. If you could call it that. John Crichton stared blankly at his ship's  
diagnostic screen. Bright red and white flashes covered his face as the program ran its course.   
He wasn't paying much attention. Across the room, Scorpius stood over a large metal object.   
John closed his eyes and saw the original. The one he had based this one on.   
  
Scorpius looked up from his work and smiled at the human. The hateful glare he got back was  
expected. It didn't really matter to him. Everything was moving into place. Just as he had  
foreseen. The hybrid turned his attention back to the device. It was all so clear to him now. The  
gaps that Crichton had fit in were like common sense. Always there for the taking.  
  
John shuddered at the image in front of him. The bastard was acting like this situation was  
normal. Like he was somehow part of the team now. John wanted to pull his pistol out and  
shoot him. Too bad that was out of the question. Sure, he had the knowledge. But Scorpy had  
all the logistics worked out. No time to let the puzzle pieces match up by themselves.  
  
"John."  
  
He ignored the calling of his name and continued staring. Crichton reached up and touched his  
lips. They were dry by now. But he could still remember the soft sensation. Could still feel  
Aeryn's body against his. The part of him that remembered Dam-ba-da wanted to reach for her  
again. His own thoughts went back to that room on the commerce planet. His leg with a knife  
stuck into it. There was no surprise as to which side won out in the end. She was still Aeryn.   
Not to mention that John had killed her. Maybe this just evened out the score.  
  
"John!" Scorpius left his work bench and walked over to the module. When Crichton refused to  
acknowledge him, he smacked his fist down on the metal exterior. "We are working under a time  
constraint."  
  
Crichton looked up and his thoughts broke away. Reality came rearing back to the surface. They  
had a job to do. "Don't touch my ride Scorpy."  
  
The hybrid lifted his hands off the module. "I was simply trying to make a point." He lowered  
himself so the two were eye to eye. "This isn't about your vendetta anymore John. You do want  
to survive this don't you? Run off with officer Sun and-."  
  
The pulse pistol rose up and tapped Scorpius' masked chin. "The other guy already tried the  
Aeryn bit. He's dead." John stood while keeping the gun trained on his enemy the whole time.   
Any reason to fire was a good one. "Get back to work."  
  
Scorpius turned around and pointed to the workbench. "Oh, I'm quite finished John. We can go  
anytime." Behind him, the crudely built wormhole drive sat ready. Bits and pieces of Talyn had  
been utilized to build the thing. It still remained to be seen if the device would work. If it would  
get them out before the Scarrens showed up.  
  
"Great. Here we go again." John jumped out of his module. He raised his gun again. "Show me  
what you've done.  
  
  
  
The console made a snapping sound as it was pushed back into place. Aeryn grunted and then  
stepped back to wipe the sweat from her brow. Putting Talyn back together again wasn't going  
to be easy. Frell, it might not even be necessary. She looked up and caught a glimpse through the  
forward portal. Things were still quiet at this point. The Scarrens still out of visual range. That  
would change soon.   
  
"Aeryn." D'Argo walked into command with his Qualta blade still in hand. He'd made up his  
mind to keep it out until it was used. Preferably on Scorpius. Didn't seem likely at this point.   
The monster had them by the mivonks right now.  
  
She turned to face him and nodded weakly. Aeryn tried not to look worried but it was getting  
more and more difficult. Her faith in the plan wasn't very strong. From the looks of it, neither  
was D'Argo's.  
  
The Luxan met her saddened eyes and nodded in return. "John says it's almost finished. They  
just have to adjust a few connections." He shuddered at the thought. Scorpius and Crichton  
working together on wormholes.   
  
"Good. But I won't be satisfied until the Scarrens are far way from-." Aeryn stopped speaking  
when she saw the look he was giving her. She had seen it before and didn't like it. "What?"  
  
D'Argo let the tip of his blade touch the floor. He turned it round a few times before speaking.   
"You asked why I couldn't get past one mistake."  
  
Aeryn realized she was holding her breath. She let it all out in one long sigh. "Yes, I said that."  
  
He took a step towards her and then slowed. "Crichton is human. He's quick to forgive,  
especially when it comes to you. But I know that he hasn't forgotten. Part of him still hurts  
every time his leg feels sore. That's why I can't let it go."  
  
"I don't expect him to forget it. But what gives you the right to fight his battles for him?" Aeryn  
moved up to meet him. "This is between me and him."  
  
D'Argo nodded slightly. He looked past her out the window and saw the stars. It helped to calm  
him somewhat. "I won't mention it again. But understand this. I won't let you hurt him like that  
again. John's plan could get him, all of us killed. Make sure you're supporting it for the right  
reasons."   
  
Aeryn let her gaze fall down to the toe of her boots. Despite her defensive nature, she knew part  
of what he said was right. "Then let's make sure it doesn't kill us." Fighting back her instinct to  
retreat, she turned to the nearest console. "Help me with this."  
  
  
  
The pilot's den looked like it had been through a war. Charged wires dangled from the ceiling  
and dropped sparks all over the floor. The light they cast was all that allowed Crais and Stark to  
feel their way around the massive console. Off in the corner, Braca watched them with a hand on  
his pulse pistol. All they had to do was give him a reason.  
  
"Do you really think this is going to work?" Stark poked his head out from beneath the console  
and looked over at his companion. The ex-captain did not look pleased. "Crichton's plan I  
mean."  
  
Bialar tore himself away from his work and answered the Bannik. "I'd just as soon hope it  
doesn't. You saw what the other one did." He dug his hands back into the mess and searched for  
something he'd never felt before.  
  
"You two! Get back to work." Braca lifted his pistol up and aimed it at the two men in front of  
him. He watched them with disgust.  
  
Stark and Crais looked over at him. The ex-captain was the only one who answered. "You're  
enjoying this aren't you? Commanding your former commander."  
  
The lieutenant narrowed his eyes. "I'm doing my job. Do yours." He secretly took much  
pleasure in it. That was something that surprised him. Braca had never realized how much he  
disliked his former captain.  
  
"If you have any idea how to restore starburst to an injured leviathan, by all means jump right in."   
Crais returned the disgusted look at his former subordinate and went back to work. "Bastard."   
He whispered the last word under his breath.   
  
Stark looked up at the man as he got back to work. Their eyes met for a moment. They both  
grinned.  
  
Braca ignored the comment and holstered his pulse pistol. He took a look around the rom and a  
feeling of familiarity settled over him. After spending the last two cycles chasing wormholes,  
returning to a leviathan was strangely comforting. "This ship is amazing."  
  
Crais stopped working again for a moment. He saw the look of wonder on the man's face.   
Exactly what he had felt the very first time. Now it was all coming to an end. Talyn would get  
another captain. What would he do then?   
  
Stark noticed that the ex-peacekeeper had stopped again. He positioned himself beside Crais.   
"We better hurry."  
  
  
  
The module lifted off the ground and turned towards the exit. Before it, the hangar doors opened  
slowly and revealed the darkness of space. No more turning back now. John felt the surge of  
power under him and smiled. This tin can reminded him of home. Funny, was that Earth or  
Moya?  
  
"Aeryn, you reading this?" He pressed the comm button and was greeted with a burst of static  
noise. John sighed and tapped the box with his finger.   
  
Her voice came through weakly but it was there. Aeryn watched the module appear on her screen  
and then answered. "I have your position John. Be careful." She looked over at D'Argo and  
then cut the connection. It was time.  
  
"I must say John, this is a very simple craft." Scorpius ran his hands over the module's controls  
and almost laughed. Even with the foreign labels, it was a hundred times easier to understand  
than a prowler. "Did you build it yourself?"  
  
John turned around and glared at the hybrid. "Just keep talking Scorpy." He pulled his pulse  
pistol out and swung it around in his hand. A little voice deep down inside told him to just fire  
the damn thing. It would be better for everyone.  
  
"Kill me and Braca will disable Talyn. Then what will you do when the Scarrens arrive?"   
Scorpius laughed at his own genius. As much as he hated to cut things this close, the plan was  
quite good. 'I've always worked best under pressure.'  
  
The module left the safety of Talyn's hangar and flew into open space. Soon all that lit the  
cockpit were stars and the blue glow from the computer screens. John took a deep breath and  
pushed down on the accelerator. "Here we-." An image suddenly flashed in his mind.  
  
"Are you alright John?" The hybrid leaned forward. He spotted the black object protruding from  
Crichton's neck. Scorpius had not noticed it before.  
  
John felt a breath flow over the back of his neck. He shuddered. "Look don't touch Scorpy."   
The image flashed again but didn't leave. The human could see it in full frame view. Talyn's long  
range sensors were picking something up. "Let's get this over with."  
  
On cue, Scorpius turned around and began pressing buttons. The device that sat above them on  
the module's roof came to life. It started to glow. "You said we had enough radioactive  
material. Are you sure?" Despite his confidence, Scorpius was beginning to get nervous.  
  
"Better be. Cause your buddies are gonna be here any minute." John finished completing the  
sequence on his end and looked up at the device. Another image flashed in his mind. A bright  
blue explosion of light rising into the air. The other him screaming in pain. "Oh yeah, I feel good  
about this."  
  
  
  
  
"We have a problem." Aeryn's eyes went wide as the picture took shape on the console before  
her. It was the same image that Crichton had seen only moments before. A large object moving  
towards them at tremendous speed.  
  
D'Argo turned from what he was doing and joined her. "The Scarrens already?" He didn't need  
her to answer. Their proof appeared through the forward portal. A Defiler with gun ports open  
came into view.  
  
The Scarren vessel was much smaller than a Dreadnaught but still twice as large as Talyn. It  
moved swiftly through the space between the two ships and then came to an abrupt stop. Its grey  
exterior was lined with hideous looking spikes. Bad for parking but deadly in close combat.   
Defilers were known for ripping their enemies to shreds. At least those they didn't blow to pieces  
first.  
  
Aeryn sighed with relief that Talyn's weapon system hadn't come online yet. That might buy  
them some time. She looked at D'Argo. "Should we try to make contact?"  
  
The Luxan glanced out the window again and frowned. "You mean try to make a deal for  
Scorpius?"  
  
Just as he spoke the words, the doors to command opened with a groan. Braca entered with his  
pulse pistol raised and ready. "No one is making any deals." He came forwards and pushed  
Aeryn away from the console.   
  
"Do you really expect them to wait that long? Crichton isn't even sure if it will work." Aeryn  
saw that common sense wasn't going to work with the peacekeeper drone. She let her hand  
move towards the pulse pistol on her belt.  
  
"Scorpius will not fail." Braca eyed her carefully and then lifted his gun higher. "Put the gun on  
the floor."  
  
D'Argo growled. His Qualta blade was still leaning against a console on the other side of the  
room. "You're going to kill us all."  
  
Braca shook his head. "No! It's going to work."  
  
Outside, John was slightly less optimistic. "This isn't working." He banged the drive's controls  
but nothing happened. Keeping the module from Scarren view wasn't a walk in the part either.  
  
"We cannot quit now John. This will work." Scorpius felt fear rise up inside him. If it didn't  
work, he'd be dead very soon. He eyed the transponder on John's neck. "Don't do anything  
rash." The hybrid went back to the controls and kept trying.  
  
  
Aeryn dropped her pulse pistol to the ground. She waited until the lieutenant's eyes were on the  
weapon and then made her move. "D'Argo!"  
  
The Luxan sprang forward and threw himself over Braca. Both of them flew backwards and hit  
the ground hard. D'Argo looked up at Aeryn and nodded. "What are you going to do?"  
  
Braca struggled under the giant's body but couldn't break free. "Get off of me!" All he got was  
a punch to the face. Dazed, he lay back on the ground.  
  
"They're defenseless out there. I'll take the prowler." Aeryn didn't wait for her crew mate to  
share his opinion. She turned and ran out the doors as fast as her legs would take her.   
  
  
  
"Crais, Stark! You better hurry." Aeryn's voice broke through the static filled comms and  
alerted the two men. Crais lifted himself off the floor and grabbed for his transponder. Instantly  
the horrible image appeared in his mind. A Scarren Defiler was approaching Talyn. The gun ship  
was terrified but clearly unable to do anything about it.   
  
"What? What's wrong?" Stark stood up and searched his companion's face for answers. He had  
the sinking suspicion that an answer wasn't necessary. They had run out of time.  
  
"The Scarrens are here. They have not fired but-."   
  
The entire ship was thrust to one side as a blast exploded from the Defiler. Crais dropped to the  
ground as conduits sparked above him. "They've fired a warning shot."  
  
"Yes, I noticed." The Bannik scrambled over the pilot's console and searched for something. He  
still remembered being hooked up to the leviathan hybrid. There was a communications station  
somewhere on there. He had to find it.  
  
"Stark, what are you doing?" Crais watched the ex-slave make a beeline for the console and then  
stop. His mind raced with possible explanations. None of them good.   
  
Stark found what he was looking for and reached for it. A hand came down and knocked his  
away. He looked up and faced Crais. They were mere inches apart. "Listen to me! If we give  
them Scorpius, they might let us go." He reached for the button but was thwarted again.  
  
"That's insane Stark. Those are Scarrens out there. They'll take Scorpius and kill the rest of us."   
Crais saw the panic in his companion's eyes. It was contagious.  
  
"No, no! We can bargain with them! I can bargain with them." Stark felt his hands begin to  
shake. He tried to think of a prayer but none came to mind. Zhaan's beautiful face did not appear  
to him.  
  
  
"I can't let you do that." Crais pulled his pulse pistol out of its holster and aimed it at the Bannik.   
He didn't want to kill the poor bastard but this could not be allowed to happen.  
  
Stark looked at the weapon and then at Crais. An idea began to form in his mind. He smiled that  
loony smile of his. "Go on, shoot me!"  
  
Crais charged his weapon but did nothing. "Don't be foolish Stark. Panic will get us all killed."   
He knew that talking the idiot down was impossible. But it couldn't hurt to try.  
  
Stark shook his head. "Shoot me!" He tore off his mask and the entire room filled with orange  
light.   
  
There didn't seem to be any other choice. Crais didn't feel right about it but he fired anyway.   
What was the crazy Bannik pulling? "Now what?"  
  
Just like that the light died out. The entire room was dark for a moment while Crais adjusted to  
the new environment. He ran forwards and checked the console. Stark was no longer there.   
"Frell you Stark." He was gone.  
  
  
  
The prowler rocketed out of Talyn's hangar and flew into space. At the controls, Aeryn struggled  
to remain calm while searching for the tiny module. She tried to ignore the giant Scarren vessel  
that awaited on the leviathan's other side.   
  
"Aeryn, what the hell are you doing out here?" John's voice came in through the comm. He  
sounded very far away.   
  
"John, the Scarrens." She tried to speak in as calm a voice as possible. Who knew how the other  
two would react. Better not to aggravate the enemy.   
  
Crichton heard the message that confirmed his fears. He turned around and locked eyes with the  
monster behind him. "We're out of time Scorpy. Make it work."  
  
The hybrid growled but said nothing. He was more concerned with getting out alive at the  
moment. Turning around, he started flipping switches. "It's almost there."  
  
Aeryn watched from her prowler as the module's roof suddenly lit up. A bright flash of blew light  
erupted from it and enveloped the space around it. "Frell, it worked."  
  
The tiny wormhole began to expand in all directions. Aboard the module, the mood was not  
congratulatory. John watched as all his equipment started to blink on and off. "Oh hell. I'm  
losing her." The module dipped downwards and headed for Talyn.  
  
Scorpius felt the contents of his stomach rise. Truthfully, there wasn't much in there. "John, we  
must rise. The Scarrens cannot capture us now!"  
  
John shook his head. "If you have any bright ideas, go right ahead!" One of the navigation  
controls began sparking. He looked up and realized something. "Scorpy, the wormhole."  
  
The hybrid followed his gaze and realized what John was talking about. It was not longer  
attached to the device above them. The wormhole was growing on its own now expanding in  
every direction at incredible speeds. Soon it would be large enough for the Defiler to enter. That  
couldn't be allowed to happen.  
  
Aeryn stared in horror as the module made a dive for the leviathan. "John! You have to land  
now!" She smacked her comm when a reply didn't come. "Answer me!"  
  
John heard her voice through the static but couldn't acknowledge. "She's right. We have to  
land." He eased off on the accelerator and tried to control the descent.  
  
Scorpius snarled angrily. "It's too late for that John. We must cross through and close the  
wormhole before the Scarrens reach it." He felt heat inside his head and tried to calm down.   
There had to be a way out of this.  
  
"Sorry Scorpy. We're not leaving them." John aimed the module towards the hangar below him  
and prayed to God that they'd make it.  
  
The human had to be stopped. Scorpius couldn't risk going back to Talyn. It would be too late  
then. He searched the module for something to use. Then it was right there in front of him. "I'm  
sorry John." The hybrid reached forward and grabbed the transponder. It resisted at first but his  
strength was backed by incredible resolve.   
  
John felt screaming pain in the back of his neck. He reached back but his hands didn't make it far  
enough. "Scorpius! What the hell are you doing?" Suddenly the pain was gone and John  
Crichton's face was smashed against the control panel.  
  
"Fascinating." Scorpius dropped the black device and reached for the controls.  
  
Aeryn called out through the comm again. "John, answer me!" Nothing. She reached down  
beside her seat and searched for anything that might help. There was nothing but the bag that  
Crais had given her and a pair of oculars. "Frell!"  
  
She put the oculars on and looked out the porthole. There wasn't much of a view but Aeryn  
could definitely see that something was wrong with the module. The ex-peacekeeper had an idea.   
"D'Argo!"  
  
In command, the Luxan heard her signal and rushed to answer it. "What is it Aeryn?"  
  
Her voice came through immediately. "I need you to check Crichton's life signs. Ask Talyn.   
He'll know what to do."  
  
D'Argo looked up at the big red circle above him. It was worth a shot. "Talyn, what is  
Crichton's status?" He waited.  
  
Suddenly information started pouring onto the console in front of him. D'Argo struggled to keep  
us with it as it came in. One thing made him freeze dead in his tracks. "Aeryn, they've stopped."  
  
  
  
Captain Quelnor of the Scarren armada watched in confusion as the big blue object filled his  
screens. He yelled to one of his many subordinates. "What the frell is that?"  
  
One of them, a tech apparently, stood up and pointed towards the object. "Our data from the  
archive lists it as a wormhole sir."   
  
Quelnor smiled as he heard the news. This could mean only one thing. They had been chasing  
the right prowler. Scorpius was here.  
  
"I can help you."  
  
Every soldier carrying a weapon turned towards the new voice and aimed. Standing in the middle  
of command was a small, strange looking man with orange light protruding from his face. He  
managed a weak smile.  
  
It had taken all his power to coalesce so quickly but Stark felt it was worth the pain. He stepped  
towards the Scarren captain and raised his arms. "You want Scorpius? I can make sure you get  
him."  
  
Quelnor stared at the little man with confusion. He wasn't sure how the intruder had gotten  
aboard but it didn't matter at the moment. This insignificant little bug could help him. "Tell us  
what you know or we'll kill you."  
  
Stark swallowed involuntarily. "We must agree first. I tell you where he is and you let the  
leviathan go."  
  
The captain growled savagely. "Tell me or I will destroy the ship now."  
  
Stark ignored the last threat and moved towards the nearest console. Weapons followed him as  
he moved. "I will show you." He typed in what appeared to be the right coordinates. Not  
knowing much Scarren, the Bannik was more than a little anxious.  
  
The screen in front of him turned on and Talyn appeared. As the angle changed, two much  
smaller ships appeared beside it. John's module and the prowler were right in between the  
leviathan and the wormhole.   
  
"In the white one." Stark looked up at the creature in front of him and something snapped inside  
his head. He had made a mistake. This was all wrong. "I'm sorry Crichton."  
  
Quelnor smiled. "Deploy the docking web. I want Scorpius now!" His crew went back to work  
and left him facing the intruder alone. "As for you..." The Scarren raised his hand and the  
familiar heat wave poured out. Stark screamed but nobody cared.  
  
  
  
D'Argo turned away from the console in a state of near shock. His friend might be dead up there.   
A noise broke the spell. He looked up just as Crais passed through the doors of command. They  
were still stuck half open. "Talyn can't sense Crichton."  
  
Crais sighed. He closed his eyes and searched for the human's presence. There was nothing. "I  
cannot sense anything. We might have to face the poss-."  
  
The Luxan wasn't listening. He ran over to the injured peacekeeper that lay on the floor.   
  
Braca opened his eyes and saw D'Argo advancing towards him. Moving quickly, he ripped the  
black device that Scorpius had given him out of his uniform. It was his only bargaining chip.   
"Not a step closer or I'll disable your ship!"  
  
D'Argo grabbed his Qualta blade off the floor and kept walking. He lifted it up until the sharp  
end was mere inches from the peacekeeper. "Do you know how Qualta blades are christened?"   
He was suddenly feeling talkative.  
  
"No, I don't" Braca's hands began to shake. He slowly raised the device in front of him.  
  
Smiling, D'Argo continued. "The elders bathe it in the blood of an enemy before its first battle.   
It's a very important ceremony." He ran his fingers down the blade's edge. "It's been a long  
time."  
  
Braca couldn't take it anymore. He closed his eyes and pressed the button.   
  
Neither Crais or D'Argo breathed in the next few seconds. Talyn seemed to go totally still for a  
moment and then resumed functioning normally.  
  
The peacekeeper looked down at the device and his heart sank. It had been damaged somehow.   
Probably when D'Argo had knocked him down. "Oh frell."  
  
D'Argo roared as he lunged forward. The Qualta blade shot through the air and into the soon-to-  
be dead peacekeeper's chest. Braca never had a chance to cry out. His eyes moved down to the  
blade and then stopped.   
  
  
The Luxan let go of his weapon and watched Braca topple to the ground. It wasn't as comforting  
as he thought it would be. "Well, now what?"  
  
Crais was already looking out the window at something new. "There's a wormhole outside."  
  
D'Argo nodded. "I think that part of John's plan worked." He was suddenly aware of the worry  
in Crais's voice. "What's wrong?"  
  
  
  
It took a moment for Aeryn to connect the dots on her own. The prowler and John's module still  
had working engines to keep them away. But Talyn was damaged and hardly able to maneuver.   
She was about to tap the comm when everything went dead. "No, not now!"  
  
Scorpius managed to direct the ailing module away from the leviathan but he too was soon  
grabbed by the docking web. Helpless, he gave Crichton a shove. The human did not move.   
"Once again, I'm sorry John. Now you've killed us both."  
  
Aeryn felt the prowler begin to away from Talyn and towards the Defiler that had positioned itself  
above her. She watched in amazement as her beloved leviathan gun ship was pulled into the  
wormhole's grasp. It gained speed and soon disappeared completely into the vortex. She was  
alone now.  
  
The two ships were soon side by side as they entered into the Defiler's hangar. Everything went  
dark as they were taken from space. The docking web's force lasted until they were both sitting  
on the ground again.   
  
Aeryn pushed the prowler's hatch open and looked around. Apparently, the Scarrens weren't  
waiting for them. They were safe for the moment. She jumped out of the black ship and ran to  
John's module.  
  
Scorpius coughed as smoke filled the cramped cockpit. He heard a snap and then the hatch above  
him fell away. Aeryn Sun was standing over him. She had a pulse pistol in her hand. "I'm sure  
we can-."  
  
She smashed the gun into his face with all the force she could muster. Aeryn repeated the action  
until he stopped moving. "Frell you!" She reached in and grabbed John by his collar. Pulling,  
she managed to get him out on the ground.  
  
"John! Answer me!" She slapped his face a few times but there was no response. Aeryn stood  
up again and went back to the module. She grabbed Scorpius and pulled him out in the same  
fashion. He seemed to wake up as Aeryn did this.  
  
"That hurt." Scorpius opened his eyes and saw the pulse pistol again. It was aimed at his  
forehead. Officer Sun was standing over him.  
  
"Where is it?" Aeryn pushed the gun down until it left an imprint on the hybrid's face. "Where?!"  
  
Scorpius nodded weakly and handed over the transponder. It appeared to be dead. All the little  
blinking lights were no longer working. "I think it's broken."  
  
Aeryn took a step back but kept her pistol trained on him. "I want you to stand up and march up  
there." She pointed towards the ramp that led to the actual ship. Where the Scarrens would be  
waiting for them. "Do it now."  
  
The hybrid realized what she was doing. "Officer Sun, be reasonable. We don't have to end it  
like this. I'm sure there's something-."  
  
She fired a shot into his left shoulder. "I said do it now." Aeryn's eyes burned brightly at the  
monster in front of her. She waited for a sign. Scorpius nodded. His own eyes seemed to shade  
over.   
  
Scorpius shook his head a final time and turned towards the ramp. It was over now. He'd be  
dead or worse very soon. But maybe, just maybe, he could find a way out. Certainly not here  
with Aeryn Sun. "Such a waste." He walked off into the darkness.  
  
Aeryn ignored the last comment and went back to John. He was still just lying there. "Don't do  
this to me John. Not again." She took the dead transponder and shoved it back into the whole in  
his neck. It had to work. There was no other alternative.  
  
"Ahhhhhh!" John opened his eyes and shouted again. "Frell, that hurt!" He looked around and  
spotted Aeryn. That brought a momentary smile to his lips. "Are we ok?"  
  
She had to fight to keep from breaking down. There was no time for that. Aeryn helped him to  
his feet. "We have to get out of here now."  
  
John just nodded his head and walked over to the module. He was starting to feel a bit strange.   
As if his entire body was very tired. Stumbling into the cockpit, the human had to fight to keep  
his eyes open. A roar sounded from close by. John thought he saw a prowler fly overhead.  
  
Aeryn watched as her prowler flew out the doors on auto-pilot. The surprise exit would  
hopefully give them enough time to make it to the wormhole. She grabbed her things and ran to  
the module. Jumping in, she started the engines.   
  
  
  
The module tore out of the Defiler's hangar just as Aeryn's prowler was re-captured by the  
docking web. She said a quiet prayer of thanks and flew into the wormholes' welcoming blue  
vortex. Aeryn felt the Earth ship begin to shake violently. After a moment it subsided.   
  
  
"We made it." She spoke the words but no answer came from the backseat. Aeryn turned and  
was surprised to find John asleep. It made sense actually. His body had just been torn from  
Talyn's consciousness and then quickly plugged back in. She was just glad he wasn't dead.  
  
Aeryn let her gaze return to the space in front of her. Far off in the distance, she thought she  
caught a glimpse of Talyn. His red and black form was hard to miss. The leviathan seemed to be  
worse off than she was. He twisted and turned in the wormhole's grip. Aeryn felt her worry  
taken over by exhaustion.  
  
There was something digging into her thigh. The ex-peacekeeper reached down and retrieved the  
object. Aeryn stared at the small black disk and wondered what it could be. It was one of the  
ones that Crais had given her. He had been so cryptic about it. Frell, she needed something to  
take her mind off the situation. Aeryn stuck the disk into the prowler's onboard computer.  
  
The screen flashed for a second and then came into focus. From the symbols in the upper corners,  
Aeryn guessed it was some sort of surveillance video. She watched as the camera panned around  
a dark empty room. A light came on from above and illuminated something. There was a man  
sitting on the floor. Aeryn realized what she was looking at. It was a prison cell.  
  
Her eyes focused on the man. He was shaking violently and whispering in some sort of alien  
tongue. It sounded vaguely familiar to Aeryn. She looked on as the man slowly lifted his head.   
He was staring right into the camera now. There was another flash of light. This one brought all  
his features out clearly. "It can't be."  
  
John began to stir behind her. Aeryn practically ripped the disk out of the computer and tossed it  
to the floor of the module. Her heart was racing faster than seemed normal. She took a deep  
breath.  
  
Crichton opened his eyes and looked out through the module's portal. "Wormhole? Where are  
we going?"  
  
Aeryn sat rigidly in her seat and stared out at the blue tunnel in front of them. Her eyes were  
wide and never strayed from the course ahead. "I don't know." *** 


End file.
